


At Long Last

by aladdinboy



Category: Adventure Time
Genre: Adventure, Cute and adorable, Draugur, Fluff and Smut, Gay teens, M/M, Mystery, Romance, yaoi-ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-04
Updated: 2014-04-27
Packaged: 2018-01-11 05:08:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 44,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1169050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aladdinboy/pseuds/aladdinboy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The past has come back to haunt Marshall Lee. The beast that turned him into a vampire 988 years ago is about to return, and only by working with Gumball can the fate of Ooo be saved. However, Gumball and Marshall find that they have feelings for each other. Can this be love?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Bad Omen

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction, so it may be rough in spots. Please leave comments to let me know what you think, your feedback is what motivates me to keep working on this!

Marshall Lee was restless. He floated in circles around his bedroom, looking for something to do. None of his attempts at music had gotten anywhere, his zombie cat Schwabelle was fed and napping downstairs on the couch, and Ice Queen was off  having some “personal time” with her penguins. He looked around at his room, surveying his belongings. He noted the pile of laundry stacked at the foot of his bed, and briefly pondered doing laundry.

“Yeah… not gonna happen today,” he said out loud, stretching. Perhaps Schwabelle had the right idea. Marshall Lee chuckled to himself as he drifted over to his bed. Over  a thousand years old, and still avoiding his household chores. As he kicked his shoes off, he looked over at his side table. A folded piece of paper sat next to his lamp. It was an invitation to Prince Gumball’s nineteenth birthday party, and the quarterly rotation of the Bubblegum Guardians. Marshall had initially been excited for the party, a chance to hang out with Fiona and Cake, and a fantastic opportunity for irritating Mr. Gummybutt himself. But he wasn’t the musical feature of the evening, and it bugged him. “Chell and Lollypop Guy will be performing all night long”, the invitation proclaimed, in bubbly pink letters. Marshall knew that he shouldn’t let something like that bother him, but he had spent the past two months working on a new set of songs, just for Prince Gumball’s birthday.

Marshall sighed and rolled over. It’s not like he had to impress Gumball or anything, he thought to himself. He just liked to show off and one-up his rivals, a personal flaw that Marshall was rather fond of. Plus, not showing up would probably annoy Gumball just as much as if Marshall had spent the entire evening teasing him. Content with that thought, Marshall fell asleep. 

* * *

A strange clock hung on a damp cave wall, lit by an eerie red light. Its hands were blurry, and instead of numbers around the face, it had words and symbols. A voice echoed through the darkness, a voice that was immediately familiar, yet aged and frail.

“For as long as light shines, my dear. Forget not, the light-stone and torch. The beast comes, when the light shines no more.” 

The red light flickered, silhouetting two figures sitting at a table, one hunched, the other tall and shaking with rage. The light faded as the hunched figure keeled forward, then collapsed on the ground. A thunderous, roaring laugh shook the cave, causing   drops of water to fall from the ceiling. As the red light disappeared completely, one of   the hands of the clock solidified, pointing at one word shining bright in the darkness. “Beltane”.

* * *

Marshall Lee jolted awake, dripping with sweat. It couldn’t be, he thought to himself, it was just a dream. He rolled over, and switched on his bedside lamp, the laugh from the dream still echoing in his ears. Marshall rarely had nightmares, and when he did they were often omens of events to come. He reached out for a pencil to jot down the message from the dream, and felt his hand brush against a warm powder. The invitation to Gumball’s party had been reduced to ash on his side table. That sealed it, he thought to himself. It wasn’t just a dream. It was a vision. He grabbed his shoes and bolted out of the window, flying toward the mouth of his cave.

There was only one man smart enough to decode the message from the vision, and time was short. The Draugur was coming.

* * *

Prince Gumball bid the last of his guests goodnight, and closed the front door of his castle, smiling. It had been a magical night. He had danced for hours, the cake was magnificent, and only two small things had gone wrong. He had even shared a slow  dance with Fiona. The only surprise was a missing vampire demon, and Gumball counted that as a plus. Marshall Lee, the Vampire King, was a pain in his royal butt.

At the top of the stairs, Prince Gumball greeted Peppermint Maid, the head of the royal staff and his most trusted advisor. 

“Your highness, I trust you had a most splendid evening?” she said.

“Oh yes, it was fantastic. The Duchess of Nuts says ‘hi’, by the way. Also, have we figured out why the Bubblegum Guardians didn’t rotate?” Gumball asked, walking down the hall toward his chambers. Apart from a slight incident with Lady Lemongrab trying to remove some “unacceptable” tapestries, the rotation of the guards was the only hiccup of the evening.

“We have Colonel Candy Corn on it as we speak, and, if she cannot convince them to rotate, we will call in Dr. Prince for a psychological examination.”

“Very good, thank you. Well, good night.”

“Good night, my lord.” Peppermint maid curtsied, and left. Gumball yawned, entered his room, and instantly froze. His windows were open, and the curtains blew in  the wind. A dark figure stood in the middle of the room, floating a foot above the floor. It took a moment for Gumball to register who it was.

“Criminy, Marshall Lee. You almost scared the icing out of me.” He paused. “Why  are you in my chambers? Here to tease me, or are you just-“

“Shut it,” snapped Marshall. Something in his voice sounded strained, and it made  Gumball nervous. He reached out and flicked the light switch by the door, and the gumdrop chandelier over his bed lit up the room with a warm glow. He could see now  that Marshall had tears in his eyes.

“Marshall? What’s wrong?” Gumball frowned, worried. It took a lot to upset  Marshall Lee. “You can’t be mad that I asked Chell and Lollypop Guy to perform tonight. I thought they could use-“

Marshall Lee silently held out a scrap of paper, with the words from his vision  hastily scrawled on in pencil. He remained silent as Gumball took the paper and read the words twice.

“What is this?” he said, confused.

“It’s a message, from a vision I had. I think the Draugur is going to return. I  think…” The tears welled up in his eyes again. “I think my father is about to die.”    


	2. The Untold Story

Marshall Lee floated down, and stood, somewhat crumpled-looking, by the foot of  Gumball’s bed.

“Your father? The Drauger? What vision?” Prince Gumball frowned, confused. “Marshall Lee Abadeer, are you messing with me again? Cause if you are, I’ll-“ Marshall Lee looked up at Prince Gumball, his red eyes wet and sad. Gumball stopped  talking immediately, realizing that Marshall Lee would never go this far to mess with him. He sat on the foot of his bed, and motioned for Marshall to sit with him. “OK, let’s start from the beginning. What’s going on?”

Marshall sighed, sniffed, and sat awkwardly by Gumball. “We’re gonna need to go  into some backstory, some of my personal history. You have to promise not to tell anyone what I’m about to tell you.” Gumball nodded. “Promise. Please.”

“I hereby Royal Promise not to tell anyone what you are about to tell me.” Oh glob, Prince Gumball thought to himself. This must be really bad.

“OK, here we go.” Marshall steeled himself, and began. “I wasn’t always like this. A vampire, I mean. I’ve always been part demon, what with my mom being in charge of the Nightosphere. But my dad… he was normal, a normal human. This was all before the Great Mushroom War, you see. When… when the war began, I was separated from them. I thought I’d lost them forever. Thank glob Simone found me, I would have been  a goner. I didn’t know, not really, that I was different from her. My father had raised me, and I thought my mom was just a business woman. After the war was over, after Simone had become the Ice Queen, I was reunited with my mom in the Nightosphere. We didn’t always see eye to eye, and I ended up moving out when I was 22. That was when I saw my dad again.” Marshall’s eyes filled with tears again, and Gumball reached over and squeezed his hand. “Thanks. We had been together for less than twelve hours when the Draugur came.”

“Yeah, this Draugur thing, what is it?” Gumball asked, interrupting.

“I’m not sure. You know how the Lich was created by the Mushroom War, somehow? I think it also created the Draugur, but I’m not sure. Anyway, the Draugur is a vampire. _The_ vampire. The one that bit me, that turned me in to… what I am today.”

“I thought you _are_ a vampire.” Gumball raised his eyebrows inquisitively. He had never heard of this Draugur thing before, and it intrigued him.

“I am, but I’m also half-demon. That’s the only reason I’m still alive. Well, alive-ish. Normally a bite from the Draugur kills instantly. I saw…” His hands shook, and Gumball reached over and squeezed them again. “I saw it kill an entire village, men, women, children, even their livestock. It was horrific.”

“Why?” Marshall shot an angry glare at Gumball, who realized he had been misunderstood. “No, I mean why did it kill everyone? What does it want?”

“It’s lonely. Imagine a being with the power of the Lich, but with the crazy emotions  and loneliness of Ice Queen. All it wants is a companion, someone to share it’s undead time with. I think it was going to choose me, since I didn’t die from its bite, but my father… he sacrificed his life to save me.”

“The Draugur killed him?” Gumball was beginning to tear up as well, realizing the trauma Marshall Lee had gone through.

“Worse. He volunteered to spend his life with the Draugur, to be its companion, in return for sparing me. The last I saw of him, he was being taken by the Draugur to the  Unknown Lands in the north. I tried to follow, but I didn’t know I could fly. I never saw my dad again.” Tears were now streaming down Marshall Lee’s face. He sniffed, turning away from Gumball.

“Hey, hey. Come here.” Gumball put a hand on Marshall’s shoulder, guiding the vampire to Gumball’s shoulder. Marshall Lee buried his face in Gumball’s soft shoulder, blushing.

After a few minutes, Marshall sat up and wiped his face. “You know what?” Prince Gumball said, looking into Marshall’s eyes. “That globing sucks. Like, big time really really ten hundred percent sucks.” Marshall half sobbed, half laughed, and a faint smile appeared briefly on his face.

“Yeah…”

“Are you gonna be alright?” Prince Gumball said, standing.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“OK, let’s take a look at this vision prophecy thing of yours.”


	3. Decoding Time

Marshall Lee rubbed his eyes. It was nearly two in the morning, and Prince Gumball was scribbling on a white board at the far end of the room. They were in one of the royal meeting halls, a large room with a vaulted ceiling, a long table, and plenty of whiteboards. Gumball had written the words from Marshall’s dream on the largest, and was muttering to himself as he made small notes to himself, occasionally crossing something out.

“For as long as light shines. Forget not, the light-stone and torch. The beast comes, when the light shines no more,” Gumball read the words out loud. “Obviously ‘the beast’ refers to the Draugur, and ‘the light’ is that red glow you described. So when the red glow goes out, the Draugur will come. That must mean that your father will die when the light… oh.” Gumball paused, realizing that Marshall could hear him. “Let’s see… The light-stone. Does that mean anything to you, Marshall Lee?”

Marshall Lee shook his head, trying to remember any mention of a “light-stone”. “Oh, there was one more thing, the word ‘Beltane’ was on the weird clock.”

Prince Gumball paused, thinking. Beltane… it sounded familiar. He raced out of the room, and returned a moment later, arms laden with books. “I’ve heard that word before. I think it’s a time… a date.” He flipped through some of the books as Marshall Lee stood, feeling useless. “Aha!”

_The spring dawn breaks the winter’s night_

_A faery’s breath brings the golden light_

_Behold! my son, the maypole merry_

_The may-begots sing, their voices carry._

 

_’Tis the time of joy, Beltane is here_

_‘Twix equinox day, and solstice cheer._

_The trees alight, the tall grasses sway_

_We feast all night, wish our fears away._

 

“That’s it!” he shouted, slamming the book shut. Marshall Lee jumped in his seat, he had been on the verge of dozing off. “It’s midway between the solstice and the equinox, which is…” Prince Gumball did some math on the white board. “May the second. Which is next Thursday. Six days. We have time,” Gumball said, relaxing slightly. Lord Monochromicorn could get to anywhere in Ooo from the Candy Kingdom in three days or less.

“Sorry, so… where are we?” Marshall Lee asked, a little confused.

“Beltane. It’s an ancient holiday, from before the Mushroom War. This year it falls on May 2nd, according to this book. That must be the day that your father will die, the day that the Draugur will emerge.”

“And the light-stone?”

“I haven’t figured that one out yet. There’s still plenty of questions yet to be answered. Like how your father was able to send you a message in your sleep, or how…”

“My mother gave him an amulet that can…” Prince Gumball pulled Marshall Lee from the meeting chamber, shushing him.

“Hush. We’re safe for tonight. We can figure out more in the morning. It’s far too late, you can spend the night in one of our guest bedrooms.”

Marshall Lee nodded, yawning. It had been a long evening, and he was very tired. Gumball showed him to the guest bedchambers, a plush room with gingerbread walls and a large, pink bed by a set of stained sugar-glass bay windows. Any other day,  Marshall would have teased Gumball about the amount of pink in the room, but not today. He kicked his shoes off, unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it by the foot of the bed,  and crawled in before realizing Gumball hadn’t left yet.

“Umm… Goodnight, Marshall Lee. If you need anything, just call.” With that, the pink candy prince turned off the light and pulled the door shut.

* * *

In the hallway, Prince Gumball sighed. Marshall Lee was a very hard man to understand. Six hours ago, he probably would have turned Marshall Lee away at the door had he come unannounced. Now, he was sleeping in the royal guest chambers, scared and helpless looking.

Gumball walked down the hall to his room, and made ready for bed. A thousand questions swirled in his head, but he knew that the answers would not come until morning. He slipped out of his royal dress and into his favorite pajamas, a pair of red and white striped bottoms and a black t-shirt from Marshall Lee’s old band. He rolled into bed, turned out the lights, and tried to clear his mind. The image of Marshall Lee, with tears in his eyes as he remembered his father, drifted through Gumball’s half-awake mind. 

It’s really not fair, he thought to himself. No wonder Marshall Lee is so… grouchy. No, that’s not the right word. Distant. Distant and lonely. Yes, that’s it, he thought, as he fell asleep.

* * *

A shrill scream woke Prince Gumball. What could that be? he thought to himself, trying to clear the sleep from his mind. It sounded as if it had come from the guest bedchambers, but those hadn’t been used… Marshall Lee! 


	4. Time for Bed

Prince Gumball jumped out of bed, and ran to Marshall’s room. Pulling open the door, he shouted “Marshall!?! Are you alright? What’s going on?” He flicked on the light, and saw Marshall Lee sitting upright, shivering, in the bed. “Another vision?” he asked.

“No, just a nightmare. That laugh, the Draugur’s laugh. I heard it, but… just a nightmare.” Marshall Lee blushed, embarrassed that his nightmare had woken Prince Gumball, who, he now realized, was wearing his old band shirt.

“OK, well, if you’re sure, then I’ll let you sleep. G’night.” He turned to leave, hand on the door, when he felt a whoosh of air and felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t leave,” Marshall said, in a pleading voice.

“What? Why?” Gumball was tired, and his eyes felt swollen from lack of sleep.

“I… I’m…” Gumball turned, and looked at the vampire demon. He had never seen him so… “Afraid. Please. Please stay here.” He blushed, and turned away from Gumball, immediately regretting what he just said. Gumball would ridicule him for years.

Gumball sighed. “Alright. I’ll keep you company. I’m just really tired, I was expecting to get a full night’s sleep tonight.”

Marshall Lee swallowed. He had already given Gumball enough material to tease him for years, he might as well go all the way. “This bed is wide enough for both of us.”

Gumball blushed. I must be delirious from exhaustion, he thought to himself. There’s no way I’m sharing a bed with Marshall Lee. Yet as he looked at Marshall’s doleful eyes, he felt a pang of sympathy in his heart, and flipped the lights off.

“Thank you,” Marshall Lee said softly, as Gumball eased himself into the far side of the bed.

“Don’t mention it. Seriously. Please never mention this to anyone.” Gumball closed his eyes, and tried to take up as little space as possible on the bed. He hoped to glob that Marshall didn’t snore.

“G’night” Marshall murmured, and rolled over. Gumball, who generally slept on his back, looked over at Marshall. There wasn’t much light in the room, but he could make out the shape of Marshall Lee’s shoulders. There was something oddly alluring about the shape of them, the way his muscles flexed as he shifted in bed, facing away from Gumball. He had never seen Marshall Lee without a shirt on, and had been surprised by how slim he was, almost to the point of looking unhealthily skinny, yet somehow he still retained some muscle definition. After a few seconds, Marshall Lee’s breathing became soft and regular, and a low purring came from his chest. Gumball assumed this was how vampires - or perhaps demons - snored. It was cute, he thought to himself.

Gumball relaxed, and willed himself to fall asleep, when he felt Marshall Lee shiver. He looked over, and noticed that the sheets on Marshall Lee’s side of the bed had slid down to his navel. Gumball felt a twinge in his stomach, a sort of nervous excitement, as he reached over and grabbed the sheets. They were fine silk, and, while luxurious and incredibly soft, they provided little protection from the draftiness of the Candy Castle. He tugged on the sheets, pulling them up around Marshall’s bare shoulders. He let his hand graze Marshall’s skin, and felt him shiver again. It was… sexy, Gumball thought, his brow knotted in confusion at his own feelings. Before he could let go, Marshall’s arm reached up, an automatic response to feeling the sheets pulled up, and pinned them in place. Unfortunately, he also pinned Gumball’s arm with surprising force. Now Gumball had no choice but to roll onto his side, and… he grimaced. Spooning with Marshall Lee, the vampire king. Thank glob Marshall was fast asleep, and had no idea he was clutching Gumball’s arm to his chest. 

They laid side by side as Gumball’s mind raced. Half an hour ago, he had been focused on plans for defeating the Draugur, now all he could think about was the pale-skinned vampire in his arms. Gumball knew he had mild interest in men, he had known since he was fourteen, although he had never seriously considered it more than a… what had his father called it? “Temptation of the flesh”. But now, with his arm draped across his oldest friend, his heart fluttered at the thought of kissing Marshall Lee, of nuzzling against his shoulder, of wrapping both arms around his waist. No. I must be sleepy, or someone spiked the punch at the party last night, he thought. Marshall Lee, his oldest friend, was also his oldest enemy. Of all of the people in Ooo to consider attractive, Marshall Lee should be at the bottom of the list. Yet, as he shifted in bed, finding a comfortable position, Gumball found he kept moving closer to Marshall, until his chest was flat against the vampire’s back, his black hair brushing against Gumball’s forehead. I’ll figure everything out in the morning, he thought as he drifted into content slumber.

* * *

Gumball awoke automatically the next morning at 6:15. Peppermint Maid would be looking for him, he thought, remembering the events of the night before. Marshall Lee was still fast asleep, that low purr emanating from his chest. Gumball tried to roll out of bed when he realized that, at some point during the night, they had intertwined their legs. Ever so gently, so as not to wake Marshall, Gumball pulled himself free and hurried out the door, as silently as possible. 

Peppermint Maid was waiting patiently outside Prince Gumball’s door when Gumball found her. His mind raced as he thought of possible excuses for not being in his room, and decided that a late night urge to bake profiteroles might work, if the subject was raised. Fortunately, Peppermint Maid didn’t seem too surprised when she greeted Prince Gumball.

“Good morning, my liege. I have news of the Bubblegum Guardians, and I’m afraid it is not good.”

“Very well. Walk with me,” Prince Gumball said, heading off toward the meeting room from the night before. His confusing feelings about Marshall Lee suddenly seemed childish and out of place when compared to the gravity of the return of the Draugur.

“Lord Monochromicorn is fetching Doctor Prince, but I fear it is in vain. Colonel Candy Corn was able to get just one sentence out of Guardian Prime.” Peppermint Maid held out a sheet of paper. Gumball took it, and read out loud.

“‘We can not let our guard down, for evil is coming.’ Then they must know as well,” Gumball sighed. “Peppermint Maid, we have a problem. Have you heard of the Draugur?”

Peppermint Maid stopped in her tracks, a panicked look across her face. “It is a force of evil, a poor, misguided soul with the touch of death, and power to rival nature itself. Nothing and no one can stop it.” Gumball shivered, wondering how Peppermint Maid knew so much. Sometimes he got the feeling she knew much more than she let on, although she had never once given him bad advice or led him astray, and he trusted her with his life. “Or so I’ve heard, uh… somewhere,” she said, noticing Gumball’s surprised expression. “Why?”

“It is returning. Marshall Lee had a vision yesterday, and he thinks it is returning. His father… his father was the one who stopped it last time.” They had reached the meeting room, and Gumball pulled the door open. Peppermint Maid entered, walked to the whiteboard covered with scribbles from the night before, and scanned it, concerned.

“Can we trust Mr. Abadeer?” Gumball nodded. “Very well. Do we know when?”

“May the second.” Gumball pulled the book from the night before from the table, flipping through to find the page with the poem.

“Beltane. Yes, of course, it would be,” she said, just as Gumball found the right page. Peppermint Maid turned and looked at her prince, concern etched across her white and red face. Gumball again wondered how Peppermint Maid knew of Beltane, but quickly put the question out of his mind. He grabbed a piece of paper, and began making a list of preparations. 

“Let me know the instant Lord Monochromicorn returns,” he instructed, without looking up. “Double the banana guards, and begin a curfew. Make sure all candy people are within the gates before sunset, and keep guards stationed along the border. Contact the other kingdoms, tell them to prepare for… for something. Something bad. Find Fionna and Cake, and bring them here quickly, but don’t alarm them. We need them calm and collected. Gather up all of the sugar scholars, and the cupcake cartographers, we need to know where the Draugur will be coming from. Contact the hazelnut historians, have them start researching methods of combating the Draugur. If we can’t defeat it, maybe we can bargain with it, or perhaps trap it somewhere. Have the staff prepare hiking and camp gear for three, and… Have the chefs make dinner for two,” he added with a hint of a smirk. “Spaghetti with red sauce, and cranberry juice.” He finished writing, folded the paper and searched for a pocket, before realizing he was still wearing his pajamas. He walked out of the door as Peppermint Maid called after him.

“Where are you going now, sire?”

“I have some work to take care of by the guest bed chambers. I’ll come find you when I’m finished. You have your instructions.” Gumball blushed as he walked down the hallway, hoping Peppermint Maid wouldn’t figure out what he meant by “work”.

* * *

As silently as possible, Prince Gumball opened the door to the guest bedroom, and tiptoed across the room, pausing at the foot of the bed. He smiled at his “work”. Marshall Lee had rolled over, and was curled into a ball in the middle of the bed. One of his pointed ears twitched as sounds of the Candy Kingdom waking up and starting a new day crept through the closed sugar-glass windows. Just like a cat, thought Gumball, smiling. He gently crawled into the bed, and settled next to Marshall Lee. Within minutes, he was fast asleep again.

* * *

Marshall Lee awoke begrudgingly, begging his body for a few more minutes of rest. He lazily opened his eyes, and was greeted by a mess of bright pink hair. He froze, confused, before realizing where he was, and who was laying next to him, his arms draped over Marshall’s shoulders.

“Whoa, what the junk, dude?” Marshall Lee sat up brusquely, squinting in the morning light. Prince Gumball pulled his arms away, surprised by the sudden movement, and promptly fell off the edge of the bed with a resounding “thump”. “Umm, sorry!” Marshall Lee called, laughing.

“Ow,” was all that came back. A pink foot was tangled in the sheets; Gumball had fallen on his butt. He glared at Marshall for laughing, then smiled himself. He stood, stretching, as Marshall Lee grabbed his shirt from the floor and slid it on.

Marshall yawned, and rubbed his eyes as Gumball opened the door to the hallway. “Wait, Gumball. Umm… Did anything happen last night? I mean, I know things happened, but… did, you know, things?”

“No, your highness”, Gumball said smirking, enjoying this rare chance to tease Marshall. “Nothing you need to worry… oh.” Gumball stammered as Marshall Lee stood. At some point in the night, Marshall Lee had - most likely inadvertently - unbuttoned the top button of his jeans, and his morning ‘happiness’ was extremely apparent.

“What?” said Marshall Lee, annoyed.

“You… umm…”

“Oh, yeah.” Marshall Lee caught on, turning dark purple. “Um… I’m gonna take a shower now, please leave and never speak of this again,” he blurted out.

A quiet giggle interrupted them, and they both turned toward the open door. Cinnamon Bun was standing in the hallway, blushing and giggling. Between Marshall Lee’s arousal and Prince Gumball rubbing his sore rear end, they both realized what it must look like.

“It’s not… We didn’t…” stammered Gumball, but he was too late. Cinnamon Bun was already skipping down the hallway. He turned and glared at Marshall. “Shower. Now. I’m going to go speak with her.” Marshall Lee blushed even deeper at the pink prince’s assertiveness as he slammed the door and took off down the hallway.


	5. Dinner for 2

Barreling down the hallway toward Cinnamon Bun, Prince Gumball nearly ran headlong into Peppermint Maid.

“Goodness, sire. Where are you running off to?” Peppermint Maid asked, straightening her red frilly hat.

“Cinnamon Bun, she saw…” Gumball panted, out of breath. A thought hit him. “Peppermint Maid, you wouldn’t happen to know how to make someone forget what they just saw, would you?” He knew it was a long shot, but Peppermint Maid often surprised him with her knowledge.

“My apologies, Prince Gumball, I’m afraid I don’t.” Gumball’s face fell. He was about to run off when Peppermint Maid piped up, “But if it is Cinnamon Bun, I could probably… persuade her to keep quiet?” Gumball nodded. His subjects were probably already nervous enough due to the sudden curfew and the increased guards; a royal scandal could be disastrous. “Give me half an hour, I shall take care of her,” she said mysteriously, and walked off. Gumball sighed. Cinnamon Bun was a pain and a klutz, but no one had the heart to throw her out of the castle. Besides, she wouldn’t last two days outside the main gates of the Candy Kingdom.

Gumball returned to his room and showered. As he dressed in his usual pink clothes, he realized that Marshall Lee probably didn’t have any clothes with him. He called up his taffy tailor, and had a fresh set of clothes brought to the guest room. 

* * *

Marshall Lee sat on the bed, confused. He was showered and clean, and had even found an emergency tooth brush in the bathroom (dental hygiene must be a big issue here, he had thought to himself as he diligently brushed his fangs, what with everything being made of candy). He had spent the night at Prince Gumface’s castle, even shared a bed with him. They were supposed to be rivals, not bedmates. Marshall rubbed his face and sighed. He kept hearing the echo of the Draugur’s laugh, a sound he had hoped never to hear again. Old memories, painful memories, were being pulled to the surface of his mind, and it made him scared. And yet, last night he had felt a strange sense of safety in Gumball’s arms. What was with that?

He was jolted out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. Answering it, he was greeted by a candy corn man holding a white cardboard box.

“His highness generously provides these clothes for your stay in the Candy Kingdom. Please leave any laundry in the hamper in the bathroom, laundry service will be returned the following morning,” the man recited, eying Marshall’s wrinkled shirt and jeans with distaste. Marshall took the box, thanked the man, and shut the door. He hadn’t been expecting hotel-level service. Then again, Prince Gumball probably had much more prestigious visitors than Marshall ever did at his house.

Marshall Lee set the white box on the bed and opened it. His face fell. “Nope. No flippin’ way,” he said, scowling.

* * *

Gumball sat at the head of a long meeting table, in a different room than the night before. Various advisors, scholars, and historians sat around the table, each with a somber look on their face.

“Precious little is known about the Draugur, ladies and gentlemen,” Gumball addressed the room. “But if we are to defend ourselves against this threat, we must arm ourselves with knowledge. After all, knowledge and fact are our greatest strengths and weapons.” He felt bad, having nothing concrete to encourage the assembly with. “Professor Poptart, do we have a location?”

Professor Poptart stood, although he was not much taller than when he was sitting. “According to legend, the lair of the Draugur is somewhere in the Unknown Lands to the north, beyond the Ice Kingdom. We have our best students sifting through historical texts.”

“Very good.” Prince Gumball nodded. “That’s a two-day flight from here. Any leads on defeating it?” He looked around the room. “Spiky Mayor? Key-per? Bufo?”

Key-per raised her hand daintily. Gumball called on her, and she stood on her chair. “I have heard tell, though it may be little more than a tall tale, of a door, a magical door of wondrous powers. The Doom Door, they called it, for it spelled doom for who ever, or whom ever, became enclosed in any room sealed by the doom door. You see, my gummy friend, once closed, the Doom Door may not be reopened.” Key-per gasped for air, bowed, and sat back down.

“Choose Goose. Where can I find this Doom Door?”

Choose Goose giggled, flailing her limp legs. “To procure this doom-y door, a lover’s kiss sealed forever more. Hew a stone, nine by four, and scribe the words ‘Trapped Inside Forever More”. Bathe the rock in water pure, to make this be your problem’s cure.” Choose Goose giggled again, then frowned. “But know, my friend, when it’s time to hide, your lover’s life will be the other side. Worry not, you will reunite, should the promise break by morning’s light.” 

Prince Gumball wrote furiously on a sheet of paper, knowing that Choose Goose’s riddles always had some deeper meaning. “Peppermint Maid, fetch some masons, then bring Water Prince here. Does anyone else have anything to share?” Gumball looked around the room, feeling as if he was grasping at straws. They had so little to go on. A magic stone door, a general direction of the Unknown Lands, and a cryptic riddle. “Very well. Thank you all for your help in this time of need. We-“

“Pardon me, my lord, but… do we even know for certain that this thing, this Draugur, is even coming? We’re basing this on the word of a half-demon, a well-known prankster in all of Ooo.” Gumball peered down the table, a little offended. It was Breakfast Prince who had spoken, and was now shrinking into his seat in embarrassment.

“I would trust Marshall Lee Abadeer with my life. He is telling the truth.” Gumball wasn’t sure where this newfound trust had come from. He was confident that Marshall wasn’t lying about his vision, but trust him with his life? He pondered this as the meeting adjourned, and the guests began to filter out of the room.

“Your highness, Fionna and Cake have arrived,” said a Banana guard, poking his head into the room. “They are waiting in the throne room.”

“Very good, thank you.” Gumball smoothed down his pink hair, trying to collect himself. Cake and Fionna were his closest friends, and he knew he could trust them with his kingdom.

* * *

“Fionna! So good to see you!” Prince Gumball strode into the throne room, arms open wide. Fionna smiled and blushed slightly as she hugged him around his waist. “I hope you enjoyed the party last night.”

“It was magnificent, wasn’t it?”

Cake nodded in agreement. “Mmm-hmm. You should have balls more often!”

“Listen, Fionna. I have a… a task for you.” Prince Gumball swallowed. He hoped he was making a good choice. “I’m going to be going on a trip, and I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. It could be a few days, or it could be a very long trip.” He knew he might even not be coming back, but he didn’t want Fionna to freak out. “While I’m gone, Peppermint Maid will be in charge of the castle. Should anything happen to the Candy Kingdom, though, I am officially putting you in charge, as an interim ruler.” Fionna gasped. “Now, no loud parties, do not mess with the Bubblegum Guardians, and keep an eye on Cinnamon Bun.”

Cake squinted at Prince Gumball, suspicious, but didn’t say anything. He seemed to be very nervous. “You are coming back, right?” Fionna asked, her voice cracking. Gumball looked into her eyes, but couldn’t bring himself to answer her honestly. Instead, he just nodded, and took the crown off of his pink head.

“This crown is extremely valuable,” he lied, knowing that he had a dozen more in his bedroom closet. “It is a symbol of power, so my subjects will know that I have officially bestowed unto you the right to rule. Be careful, and be wise. I trust you.” Fionna looked a little sad, almost as if she could sense the danger that Gumball was about to face. He felt bad, forcing so much responsibility on her, but there was no one else that he trusted enough to be a fair and fit ruler than Fionna. He bent down, and kissed her gently on the cheek, making her flush deep red.

“Now, I have much to prepare. Off you go, and be safe,” he said, and turned to leave. A soft rustling noise stopped him in his tracks, and he thought he saw a shadow slide along the floor, toward the hallway. It was just a trick of the light, he decided, and left.

* * *

“Greetings, Lord MoCro! I’m sorry I had to call you here on such short notice, but I am going to need transportation to the Unknown Lands. Can you take me and one other?” Gumball asked, rubbing the dark monochromicorn’s mane. He stamped in response, spelling out the word “YES” in morse code. “We’ll also have a rather large piece of rock with us, do you think you can manage?” He could see the displeasure in Lord Monocromicorn’s eyes, but he faithfully nodded. “Thank you, old friend. If all goes well, we will be departing in the morning. Rest up, it may be a long journey.”

Gumball left the magical steed in the Candy Stables, and next headed for the kitchens. For all the fear and uncertainty he felt, the prince felt very much in his element; he was a natural born leader. Sometimes, during long winter weeks with nothing to do, he would spend hours pacing in the castle, going stir crazy from boredom. But now, he had lists of tasks, he had citizens to lead, and he had aides to instruct. It was good to be prince, he thought, as he entered the kitchens.

Walking up and down the kitchen aisles, Gumball paused here and there to inspect his chef’s work. He glanced up at the far wall, and smiled to himself. It was adorned with various plaques and trophies he had won in baking competitions all around Ooo. He knew these kitchens better than any other part of his castle, and felt safe here. His head chef was toiling away on a delicious smelling pasta sauce, and Gumball saw a sack of fresh cranberries waiting to be juiced. “Perfect, keep up the good work,” Gumball said, patting the chef on his back. “I’d also like to amend the menu for this evening. Fresh fruits, all of them red, a beet salad, and red velvet cake for dessert.” The chef nodded, covering the pasta sauce as he set off toward the pantry. Now, Gumball thought to himself, just a few more things to take care of, then time to deliver an invitation.

* * *

Marshall Lee floated on his back, a foot above the floor. Sounds of busy candy people echoed through the castle, talking in nervous voices, pushing large trolleys, even what sounded like stone being carved. His ears twitched. It must suck to be a proper prince, he thought. So much responsibility, so many people looking to you for guidance. He’d much rather sleep in, noodle around on his bass guitar, maybe watch a movie or two. Only when he was irritated at someone would he ever experience boredom, and that was more of a nervous restlessness than proper boredom.

He thought about what he had seen that afternoon. Gumball and Fionna… He scrunched his eyes tight shut, trying to get the image out of his head. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much. Perhaps it was a symptom of spending the night in Gumball’s bed, or maybe… maybe it was something more. He shook his head at the idea. It was probably Fionna, he thought. He was probably jealous that she had apparently picked Gumball over himself. Content with that thought, Marshall Lee floated over to the window. The sun was just beginning to set, light sparkling off of the brown sugar roofing shingles in the candy city below. It was sort of pretty, he thought, in a disgustingly sweet sort of way.

There was a knock on the door. “Yes?” Marshall call out, not wanting anyone to see him in his current… situation.

“It’s Gumball, can you open up please?”

“What do you want?” He heard Gumball sigh through the door.

“I want you to open the door, please.”

“OK, hold on.” Marshall Lee floated over to the door, steadied himself, and pulled it open.

“Thanks, I was wondering if you’d like to join-“ Gumball stopped mid-sentence, seeing what Marshall Lee was wearing. Marshall Lee, the Vampire King and Prince of the Nightosphere, was wearing pink. Not just a pink shirt, but pink striped socks, pink sweatpants with red draw strings, and a pink and purple t-shirt with a pink plaid flannel shirt over it.

“Shut up,” Marshall Lee said, before Gumball could say anything more. “Your royal someone brought me this in the morning, and it was either wear this, wear my gross, smelly clothes from yesterday, which were due to be washed like, last week, or go prancing around your castle naked.”

Gumball turned deep purple at the thought of Marshall Lee naked. He pondered for a moment, then slapped his forehead. “Taffy tailor! He must be going senile! I said ‘Marshall Lee needs clothes, I think’, not ‘Marshall Lee needs clothes in pink’. I’m super sorry, I’ll have something else brought right up. Although…” He paused, and smirked. “You do look kinda cute in pink.” He was teasing Marshall, but the more Gumball looked at Marshall Lee, shifting uncomfortably in his pink ensemble, the more he thought Marshall Lee actually did look attractive in pink. It matched his fiery red eyes, and brought out the subtle turquoise in his skin. The soft curves in his neck, the shiny highlights of his cute little fangs…

“Hello? Gumface?” Marshall Lee waved his hand in front of the prince’s glazed over eyes.

“Wha… Oh, yes. I’ve come to invite you to dinner, there’s something I’d like to show you that I think will take your mind off of this Draugur business.”

“But I don’t eat like you… remember? I eat shades of red.” Now that Marshall thought about it, he really was quite hungry. The last time he had eaten was the previous morning. His tongue slid over his fangs. A good red would actually be quite nice. A strong crimson, or perhaps a scarlet. With some maroon for dessert.

“Yes, I remember. I’ve had an all-red meal prepared for us. Come, this way.” Gumball grabbed Marshall’s wrist, and led him toward the southern veranda. 

Marshall Lee normally wouldn’t let anyone pull him around like this, but the thought of food made his mouth water and his fangs tingle. He felt a little bad, forcing his funky red diet on the rest of… whoever they would be dining with. A prince as popular as Gumball probably ate in massive banquet rooms, making dull conversations with delegates, envoys, consoles, and other people who’s jobs Marshall Lee didn’t really understand. He was therefore surprised when Gumball led him out onto a small balcony. A cast iron table and two chairs were set for dinner, with a small lantern in the middle of the table illuminating the balcony. The last rays of sunlight were fading over the mountains to the west, and the first stars were coming out.

“This is where you eat?” Marshall Lee gasped, taken aback by the intimacy of the setting.

“Not normally, but I thought you might prefer this over a large banquet with fifty people per table.” Marshall nodded silently, awed by the lengths the candy prince had gone through to make him comfortable. It was… sweet, he thought, laughing softly.

“What?” said Gumball, seeing Marshall Lee giggle.

“Nothing, I just… thank you, for everything. Y’know, for letting me stay here, and giving me clothes, and junk.”

“My pleasure. Now, let’s have some food. I’m starving.” Gumball clapped his hands twice, and a gumdrop man appeared, pushing a trolley of food.

“Beet Salad, with a red-wine vinaigrette,” said the gumdrop man, setting plates on the table.

“Wow. I didn’t even know you could make a salad out of beets!” said Marshall Lee, prodding his salad with his fork in fascination. “This looks fantastic!”

“Thanks, I personally… had someone else make it.” Prince Gumball smiled, happy to see Marshall Lee enjoying himself. Marshall Lee laughed, and began eating. Gumball had never seen him eat a proper meal before, and it was fascinating. The vampire slid a small side plate next to his salad, and placed each fork full of food on the plate after sucking the red out of it.

“Umm, question,” Gumball asked. “After you suck all of the red out, does the food still… what does the gray stuff taste like?”

“Idunnuh, try it,” mumbled Marshall Lee, completely absorbed in his food. Gumball forked a piece of gray beet, and tentatively bit in. It tasted like cardboard. So Marshall really did suck all of the flavor out of it, he thought to himself. Incredible. He quickly stuffed some of his own salad into his mouth, trying to rid himself of the taste of gray cardboard.

“When I first turned to vampire, I had no idea I could eat red,” Marshall said between bites. “I’d heard all of the legends about vampires, drinking blood and stuff, so I locked myself in my room for three days. By the time I was really starving, I realized all I wanted to do was gnaw on things, not drink blood. I didn’t know it was red, though, that I was craving. I chewed on just about everything I owned, draining the color from some things, not from others. It wasn’t until I found a box of crayons that I figured out it was the color red.”

“Wow, I wonder what would have happened if you were color blind?” Marshall Lee laughed.

“I wondered that myself for a while. When I was really young, before I got into music, I wanted to be a fashion designer. Y’know, not like a tailor or a seamstress or anything, but someone who creates ‘looks’. A few years after I moved into the tree fort, I tried opening a shop by the Squeez-E-Mart, but this one lady, Eberhardtess, kept coming in and ordering green ascots. She must have been colorblind, because she would bring in these awful red dresses, and insist that they were green. At first I just gave her red ascots, but people would ask her about her red ascot, and she’d come back all huffy and steamed.”

Prince Gumball laughed. He’d met Eberhardtess once, many years ago. She was a brilliant pianist, and one of the most irritable old ladies he had ever met. Just imagining Marshall Lee butting heads with her made him grin. “So what’d you do?”

“I sucked all of the red out of her dress, she was ecstatic! Red works great with gray, blue as well, hence my… oh.” Marshall Lee glanced down, realizing he was still wearing the pink clothes from that morning. They both began laughing.

“Intermezzo, my lord?” The gumdrop man was back, with two small wine glasses filled with fruit.

“Yes, please. Thank you!” Gumball passed his plate to the waiter, and indicated to Marshall to do the same.

“What the fluff is an intermezzo? I thought that was a music thing.”

Gumball raised his eyebrows, smiling. “Is it?”

“Yeah, it’s like a small song that goes between two bigger musical movements or songs… Oh!” Marshall Lee’s eyes lit up as he made the connection. The waiter placed a glass in front of Marshall Lee. It was full of strawberries, cherries, raspberries, and thin slices of blood oranges. A light red foam sat on top, making the whole thing look like an ice cream sundae.

“These were grown right down there, in the castle garden,” said Prince Gumball, pointing over the edge of the balcony. Marshall followed his finger, and saw a small courtyard with terraced planters, brimming with fruit plants. He stuck a strawberry into his mouth, bit down, and sucked the sweet, smooth color from the fruit. It was all very romantic, he thought to himself, almost as if he was trying to impress me. Probably practicing for Fionna.

“Prince Gumball…”

“Please, you can call me just Gumball, or Bubba, if you like.”

“OK, ‘just Gumball’, I was wondering…” Gumball poked Marshall Lee playfully in the side, making him jump. “Hey, that tickles! I was wondering why you didn’t ask me to play at your birthday party. Y’know, if you don’t mind me asking.”

Gumball frowned, thinking. If he told Marshall Lee the truth, he’d never believe him. “Umm… I just thought you’d enjoy the party better, if you didn’t have the stress of performing.” It was a silly excuse, and Marshall looked as if he didn’t fully believe Gumball, but he didn’t inquire any further. “To be completely honest, Chell and Lollipop Boy were absolutely dismal. Worst. Music. Ever. You’re playing at my next ball, whether you want to or not.” Marshall Lee laughed, relaxing a bit. He’d never seen Prince Gumball be as assertive as he had been today, but it was nice. “Wow, I guess you liked the fruit!”

Marshall Lee looked down at his fruit glass, noticing it was empty. “Huh, yeah, I guess so. This is fun, what’s next?” he asked, looking over his shoulder for the gumdrop waiter. Sure enough, he was pushing the trolley over to their table.

“For our main entrée, we have… spaghetti with tomato puttanesca sauce, garnished with red bell peppers” he said, uncovering the plates with a flourish. He removed the fruit glasses, and placed two steaming plates of spaghetti in front of Marshall Lee and Prince Gumball, followed by two crystal glasses of cranberry juice.

“Oh my glob, there’s no way I’ll be able to eat all of that.” Marshall Lee said, his eyes growing wide.

“Make sure you save room for dessert, too,” Gumball said, smiling. Feeding people had always made him happy, and seeing Marshall Lee full and content would be the perfect evening to a stressful day. “Oh, look! The sugar flies are coming out!” He jumped to his feet, and ran to the railing of the balcony. Turning toward Marshall, he beckoned him over.

Joining him, Marshall Lee looked out over the city. Small yellow lights were illuminating in the cotton candy trees all over the town. He gasped, as the lights left the trees and began swirling in the air, higher and higher.

“They only fly when the air is warm enough, and there can’t be any moonlight or breeze,” explained Gumball, watching the lights flutter and twinkle in the night.

“Thats… I don’t know what to say. It’s radically beautiful,” Marshall Lee sighed, looking over at Gumball. He felt a strange attraction in his chest, a sort of longing, as if he wanted to lay his hand on the pink prince’s arm. Gumball turned to look at Marshall, a dreamy look in his eyes.

“Yeah. Not many people get to see it from up here. I’m glad I got to show you.” Gumball leaned in toward Marshall Lee, keeping their eyes locked together. Marshall knew what was coming, but he couldn’t resist it. A strange and foreign force was drawing him in toward Gumball.

Inches away from each other, Gumball blinked. “Our spaghetti’s getting cold.” He turned and sat back down, leaving Marshall Lee dazed and confused. “Common, we can watch from here,” Gumball said, patting Marshall’s seat. Marshall Lee sat, and took a slurp of red from his pasta. It was delicious.

* * *

A short while later, Marshall Lee sat back in his chair, very full. Despite the size of his dish, he had somehow managed to finish off all of his spaghetti. Gumball hadn’t eaten quite as much as Marshall Lee had, but he was nonetheless contently full as well.

Prince Gumball burped, then covered his mouth in embarrassment as Marshall Lee burst out laughing. “Oops… excuse me.” Gumball said, quietly.

“Umm… No,” Marshall laughed, defiantly. He slumped back in his chair, and propped his feet up on the lower struts of the table. Gumball smiled. Despite his age, Marshall Lee was awfully immature, he thought, but in an endearing way.

The gumdrop man reappeared once more, with two last plates on his trolley.

“No, please glob, I’m sooo full!” Marshall Lee whined. He quickly sat upright though, as a wedge of red velvet cake, with special red icing, was placed in front of him. “On second thought, maybe just a few more bites.”

Prince Gumball smiled. Marshall Lee was adorable, he decided, and at that moment he knew he was falling in love with him. His piece of cake was set in front of him, and he nudged it toward the other side of the table just a bit when Marshall wasn’t looking. Now he had an excuse to scoot his chair over a bit, so their knees were touching. To his pleasure, Marshall didn’t shift at all, and they sat there, knee to knee, eating under the twinkling sugar fly lights.

* * *

As they stood to leave, after finishing their dessert and chatting a little more, Marshall Lee tapped Gumball on the shoulder.

“Hey, Gumball. Can… would you mind, and it’s OK if not, but could you…” He blushed as Gumball turned to look at him.

“Would you like me to keep you company again tonight?” Marshall Lee nodded, looking deep into Gumball’s eyes. They were a brilliant shade of blue, and had little flecks of green around the edges.

“In that case, let’s use my bed. It’s a bit bigger, and quite a bit softer.” Feeling a little awkward, but still quite happy, Marshall Lee followed Prince Gumball toward his bedroom. 


	6. A Gentle Touch

“You’ll have to forgive me, my room’s a bit of a mess,” Gumball said, resting his hand on the doorknob. “It’s been a kinda crazy day, so I haven’t gotten to clean yet.”

Marshall Lee raised his eyebrows. His own bedroom was a hazard area, although it never bothered him, since he could float over the floor. Gumball pushed his door open, and entered. Following, the first thing Marshall Lee noticed was the smell. It was sweet and musky, like a really fancy wooden desk. It was alluring, but not overwhelming, like all of the best scents of the candy prince blended into an expensive cologne. Marshall Lee looked around, taking it all in.

“You call this messy?” he said in disbelief.

“Yeah, look at this! Work all over my desk, pillowcases wrinkled, that bookcase isn’t ordered correctly… the curtain tassels are even dusty!” He looked at Marshall Lee in apology. “I promise it’s normally much more organized.”

“It’ll be tough, but I think I’ll survive the night,” joked Marshall, slowly walking around the room, taking it all in. He’d never seen Gumball’s room before. Contrary to what the prince claimed, it was immaculate. The pink walls gleamed, there wasn’t a single article of laundry on the floor, and the framed pictures on the dresser looked as if they had been set out with a tape measure. Even the white shag rug on the floor looked as if it had been hand-fluffed earlier that day.

“I’ll find you some night clothes…”

“You mean pajamas?” Marshall Lee smirked. All of these regal-sounding words made him laugh. Bedchamber instead of bedroom, intermezzo instead of fruit cup, tassel instead of… actually those are kind of inherently fancy, no matter what you call them, he thought to himself.

“Yeah, I’ll get some for you.” He opened a door into an immense closet, and disappeared in. Marshall looked around some more. The bed was a massive four-poster bed, with pink and white swirls in the drapes. A side table sat on either side of the bed, although the left side was clearly Gumball’s favored side. Two leather-bound books sat on the left side table, as well as a pair of reading glasses, a tiny yellow notebook, a small glass bottle of water, and a large chunk of what looked like pink coral with a clock face embedded in it. The room was laid out in a mirror image of the guest room, with elaborate stained candy glass windows, this time with a plush chaise lounge by them, and a large desk. Gumball’s desk was piled high with papers, books, protractors, and a giant magnifying glass attached to a cantilevered arm. Framed pictures covered the top of a low dresser, pushed up against a tall armoire. Inspecting the pictures, Marshall Lee found photos of many of their mutual friends, including Fionna and Cake, Lumpy Space Prince, Chocoberry, Peppermint Maid, Tree Trunks, and assorted candy people. He felt his heart drop as he searched for a photo of himself. Much like how he didn’t appear in normal mirrors, only special cameras (like BMO) could capture his picture, and he knew that Prince Gumball had at least one of BMO’s pictures. It didn’t seem to be amongst the photos on the dresser, though.

“Will these work? They’re the only ones I have that aren’t pink.” Gumball had returned, and was holding a baby blue tank top and a pair of light gray pajama bottoms.

“Oh glob, these are the softest things I’ve ever felt!” Marshall Lee exclaimed, taking the gray pants from Gumball. They were a light fleecy material, like Marshall’s favorite t-shirt. “I don’t need a shirt, though.”

Gumball smiled, and returned the shirt to his closet. “You can change in here, I’ll change in the bathroom.”

Marshall Lee sat on the side of the bed, sinking a good six inches into the mattress. It was, without a doubt, the nicest bed he’d ever seen. The top sheet was a smooth velour fabric, and the pillow cases were silky and cool to the touch. He ran his hand over the bedspread as he kicked his shoes off. He glanced toward the bathroom door, making sure it was closed, then undressed quickly. Sounds of Gumball brushing his teeth came from behind the closed bathroom door, and Marshall Lee smiled as he heard the prince humming to himself. He pulled on the gray pants, a shiver of pleasure shooting through his spine. They were really comfortable. He glanced over at the bathroom door again, then bent down to grab his clothes. The prince’s room was so immaculate that he would have felt guilty leaving them on the floor, so he folded them as neatly as he could and set them down on top of his tennis shoes by the door. He climbed into the bed just as Gumball re-entered the room, and pulled the sheets up around his neck, suddenly very self conscious of his body. The pink prince was wearing one of Marshall Lee’s old rock band t-shirts, and red and white pinstriped shorts.

“There’s an extra tooth brush in the drawer by the sink,” Gumball said, noticing that Marshall Lee was eyeing his shirt. “Oh, yeah, I um… I just had this sitting around, thought it would be nice to wear, y’know, tonight,” he lied. “Are you cold?”

“No, why?”

“You have the blankets pulled up to your chin.” Marshall Lee felt his face flush.

“Oh, yeah. I’m… a bit chilly, yeah.” There was no way he’d admit that he felt embarrassed without a shirt around Gumball. It was silly, he thought to himself. They had spent the previous night together; it’s not like Gumball had never seen him without a shirt on.

“I can get a heaver blanket, if you’d like,” said Gumball dubiously. It was actually fairly warm, one of the first warm nights after a long winter. “Aren’t you going to brush your teeth?”

“Maybe later, or in the morning.” Marshall really didn’t want to get out of the bed. As soon as he had laid down, the mattress had enveloped him in its downy softness, and the longer he laid there, the more relaxed he felt. Gumball’s eyebrows twitched. He was rather obsessive about brushing his teeth, but… Marshall eats colors, maybe different rules apply, he though.

Gumball slid himself into the bed. He clapped twice, and the lights flicked off. Marshall Lee smiled to himself. Gumball was probably the most pampered prince in all of Ooo.

“Marshall Lee?” Gumball rolled onto his side, and faced Marshall, his expression unreadable in the darkness.

“Mmm-hmm?”

“Thank you,” he said simply.

“For what? You’re the one who’s been taking care of me, I should be thanking you.”

“No, I mean, yes you’re welcome, but… For having dinner with me, for coming to me in the first place, for, umm… not being a jerk or anything.”

“OK, first of all when have I ever been a jerk to you? Actually, don’t answer that. And you kinda pulled me to dinner, which was amazing, mind you, but… yeah, and then you were the only one who would be smart enough to figure out what my vision meant.”

“You’re supposed to say ‘you’re welcome’ when someone thanks you,” Gumball said.

“You’re welcome when someone thanks you,” Marshall Lee teased Gumball, before rolling onto his back. It had been a weird day, he thought to himself. Almost as if Gumball had been flirting with him. But that was crazy, he thought to himself. He had seen Gumball kissing Fionna earlier that day. There was one way of finding out…

“Hey Gumball?”

“Yeah?”

“I assume I’m coming with you to find the Draugur?” Gumball propped himself up on his elbow, realizing he’d never technically asked Marshall Lee to join him.

“Well… yeah. Is that OK? I just kind of assumed…” he trailed off.

“No no no, I really want to come with you. I just was wondering…” He bit his lip nervously. “Isn’t this the kind of thing you usually do with Fionna? I mean, she’s the adventurer, the hero and everything.”

“I asked her to stay here and look after my people. She’s a natural leader, and I need my people calm.” He dropped his head down onto his pillow. “You know more about the Draugur than anyone else, what it looks like, how it thinks… Plus, I kinda enjoy spending time with you.”

“Me too. I was just wondering, since I saw you… I saw you kiss Fionna in the throne room today,” Marshall blurted out. Gumball pushed himself up into a sitting position, his back against the headboard.

“Aha! So that was you that I saw. Marshall, she’s like fourteen years old! She’s my best friend, but nothing more. I just wanted to give her some confidence, so she could handle looking after forty thousand candy people while I’m away.” He paused, his heart racing. Could Marshall Lee be jealous? Was there a chance he felt the same as Gumball? “Why, were you planning on asking her out or something?”

Marshall Lee snorted. “Gumball, if you’re too old for her, what am I? I’m a thousand and six years old, remember? Besides, I think of her as a friend as well.”

“Uh… if you don’t mind me asking, is there someone else who you’d rather ask out?” Gumball asked, his heart racing. If I get any more excited, Marshall Lee will be able to hear my pulse, he thought. “Just, y’know, out of curiosity.”

Marshall Lee opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, thinking. He was pretty sure at this point that Gumball had been flirting with him all day, and somewhere along the line he had begun to enjoy it. After living for so long, he had given up discriminating between men and women in romantic interest, but he hadn’t been on a date in centuries. His ex had been rather abusive, and for the longest time he had sworn off getting romantically involved with anyone. Yet here he was, laying in Gumball’s bed, less than a foot away from the pink prince, and he found himself craving Gumball’s touch. 

“There is someone, but I don’t know if they like me back.” If he was going to come out and confess his feelings for Gumball, he might as well milk it for all its worth. “They’re very responsible, and make delicious food, but sometimes they can get a little caught up in their duties. They treat their friends, and sometimes even their rivals and enemies, like royalty. And I’m worried about them, because soon they’re going to face something very, very scary.”

“They…?” said Gumball, hoping for a gendered pronoun.

“And they’re pink,” said Marshall Lee, holding his breath for Gumball’s response.

“And you don’t know if he - sorry- they like you back?” said Gumball reaching out for the bedside lamp.

“Well, I’m not sure… Oh!” Gumball turned the light on, and Marshall Lee shielded his eyes from the bright light. Adjusting to the brightness, he saw something on the bedsite table that he had missed earlier. Sitting behind the pink coral clock, angled so it was only visible from the bed, was a gold-framed photo of Marshall Lee and Prince Gumball, arms around each other’s shoulders. It had been taken at Fionna’s tree fort, at one of her movie nights.

“Well, if they like you half as much as I do,” said Gumball, “They’d probably keep something that reminds them of you close to them.” He smiled as Marshall Lee’s eyes grew big. He’s gonna make me do all the work here, thought Gumball, although he didn’t mind. Clearing his throat, he said in his fanciest voice, “Sir Marshall Lee Abadeer, Vampire King and Prince of the Nightosphere, would you honor me with a date if we return safe to the Candy Kingdom?”

“If? What’dya mean ‘if’? We’re coming back, and you’re going on a date with me.” Marshall Lee felt so elated, he involuntarily floated an inch off of the mattress. Gumball turned off the light, and slid closer to Marshall, draping his arm across the vampire’s shoulders.

“Sounds good to me. Can we…” He didn’t want to go too far, after all they had only agreed to go on a date. But the alluring scent of Marshall’s skin was pulling him closer. “Can we snuggle a bit, before we go to sleep?”

“Umm… Yes!” Marshall wrapped his arms around Gumball, pulling him closer, until they were chest-to-chest. Gumball nuzzled his nose into the nape of Marshall’s neck, sending shivers down his spine. “Mmm… you’re awfully snuggly, mister!” Marshall whispered.

“Sorry, am I going too fast?” Gumball paused.

“Gummy, if you’re doing something I don’t want, you’re going to know. Like, you’ll know right away. I’m kinda vocal about that stuff.” He pulled Gumball closer still, and breathed in deeply, taking in the sweet, bubblegum scent of Gumball’s body.

“Gummy?” he asked, smiling into the vampire’s neck.

“Sorry, can I call you that? Do you mind?”

“Only if I can call you Marshy…” He paused. “Actually, never mind, it doesn’t really work as well.”

“Yeah, not really. But you’ll come up with something,” said Marshall, stroking his hair gently.

Gumball slid his hand down Marshall’s back, exploring his body. If they were going to be together as a couple, and Gumball sincerely hoped they would, he wanted to know every inch of his partner’s body. There was a small patch of hair in the middle of the vampire’s back, just above his waist, and Gumball gently rubbed his hand back and forth over it.

“Gummy, stop, you’re going to put me to sleep,” Marshall said lazily, clearly enjoying it.

“Good, we have a long day tomorrow.”

“But I like this, just being here with you.” Marshall rolled onto his back, trying to keep his body from falling asleep. Gumball crawled up onto Marshall’s chest, his legs straddling the vampire’s groin. There was a small soft spot just to the side of Marshall’s neck, right where it became shoulder. Gumball had been nuzzling it earlier, but now he gently laid his head there, finding it incredibly comfortable.

“This spot,” he said, tracing the soft spot with the tip of his nose. “This spot is mine now. I’ve claimed it.”

“All yours.” confirmed Marshall, stifling a yawn.

They laid there for a few minutes, their breathing synchronized, when Gumball felt something wet on his forehead. He looked up, and saw tears glistening on Marshall’s face.

“Marshall, what’s wrong?” he said, alarmed.

“I don’t know. Nothing’s wrong, I’m really happy.” Marshall Lee wiped the tears from his face.

“Then why are you crying?” Gumball said, sliding off of his chest. 

“I don’t know!” he sobbed. He really had no idea why he was tearing up. A sudden wave of intense emotion had overcome him, and the hormones shooting through his body probably weren’t helping much. He rolled over, and placed his head on Gumball’s smooth shoulder, embarrassed.

“Shh… shh, it’s alright.” Gumball rubbed Marshall’s hair, then began stroking his back again. A few minutes passed, then he heard a low, soft purring indicating Marshall had fallen asleep. Gumball tilted his head down slightly, and whispered in the sleeping vampire’s ear. “I promise I’ll always take care of you, my Marshall Lee.” He smiled, curled his arm around Marshall’s waist, and fell asleep as well.

* * *

Marshall Lee looked around. He was standing in a cave, but the walls all seemed to be made of mirrors. Distorted, monstrous reflections peered back at him as he walked forward, exploring. Here and there were stalactites and stalagmites, always in pairs. He shuddered, noting that they all looked remarkably like fangs. A red light came from around the corner, and a sense of dread filled him. Rounding the corner, he saw the Draugur standing before him, reflected a hundred times over on every surface. The Draugur must have been seven feet tall, and was wrapped in a slimy green leather cloak. Its face was stretched and disfigured, the nose sticking out at a rakish angle, and a dozen razor-sharp teeth protruded from its mouth, dripping with saliva.

“Marshall Lee Abadeer…” it called out, in a hoarse, rattling voice. Marshall’s eyes had been transfixed on its mouth, but now he looked up, and saw its eyes…

* * *

Marshall Lee awoke with a start, disoriented. He tried to scream, but there seemed to be something covering his mouth. He flailed around for a moment, before realizing his face was pressed against Gumball’s shoulder. Marshall lifted his head, and rolled onto his side, breathing heavily.

“Marshall! Are you OK?” Gumball had woken up, and was feeling around in the dark for Marshall’s hands. He found them, and held them tightly. “Another nightmare?” Marshall Lee swallowed, and nodded.

“Mmm-hmm. I saw it, this time. I saw the Draugur.” His voice broke.

“Come ‘ere. It was just a dream, you’re safe. I’m here. I’ve got you.” Gumball wrapped his arms around Marshall, and gave him a soft squeeze.

“It was horrible. There was something wrong with its eyes… I don’t remember now. But it knew my name.”

“I’ve got you, it’s alright,” Gumball repeated, rolling onto his back and pulling Marshall with him. “Nothing can get you here, nothing can get past the Bubblegum Guardians. And nothing can get past me,” he said resolutely, stroking Marshall’s hair. The vampire gently dragged his lips across Gumball’s, tantalizingly close to kissing him. He wanted to properly kiss him, but his body was still in panic mode, tense and shaking. 

“Gummy…”

“Here, I’ll wrap myself around you, now you’re completely safe.” Gumball wrapped his arms and legs around Marshall’s thin body, holding him tight. Marshall Lee seemed to relax a little, his body no longer shaking.

“Mmm, just like a… like a burrito!” Marshall said, rocking back and forth slightly in Gumball’s grip.

“A burrito?”

“A burrito!” Marshall grinned. Even though he was still on edge from his nightmare, Gumball had distracted him enough that he was smiling, and now they were just being playful, cuddling together in bed. “Like a delicious bean burrito!”

“What kind of bean burrito?” Gumball said, rocking from side to side. Marshall’s body had a comforting weight on his chest, and he wished he could spend every night like this, sans nightmares.

“Umm…” Marshall Lee thought, then smirked. “A jelly bean burrito!” They both laughed, and Marshall rolled off of Gumball, laying his head on the pink prince’s shoulder once again. Gumball gave him a quick kiss on the nose, a promise of more to come. “I’m not going to be able to fall asleep again, not after that nightmare,” he murmured. 

Gumball thought for a moment, then reached up and rested his arm on Marshall’s head, his hand draped over his forehead. He began drawing figure-eights on Marshall’s forehead, just between his eyes, with the tip of his middle finger, trying to apply the lightest touch possible. Peppermint Maid used to do this to him when he was young, and it would always put him to sleep. It seemed to be working on Marshall, who yawned and stretched his legs.

I could get used to this, Marshall thought to himself, as he and the candy prince drifted off to sleep.


	7. Sidetracked

The first rays of sunlight were just beginning to peak out over the horizon as Gumball awoke. He laid still, feeling the soft vibrations of Marshall Lee’s purring in his chest, the vampire’s smooth back rising and falling as he breathed. Gumball smiled. Marshall Lee, the vampire king, likes me, he thought. He briefly considered getting up and making preparations, but decided laying in bed a little while longer couldn’t hurt. He pulled the drapes on the poster bed closed so the rising sun wouldn’t hurt Marshall, who looked incredibly peaceful as he slept.

Gumball pulled Marshall’s arm over his shoulder, and placed his head against Marshall’s chest, smiling at the small patch of hair between his pectorals. Not hearing a heartbeat, Gumball looked up at Marshall’s face. How could a being survive without a beating heart? he wondered. The Draugur must have extremely strong magic, some of which was likely transferred to Marshall Lee when he was bitten. Poor guy, Gumball thought, cursed to age at an incredibly slow rate, to burn in the sunlight, to never see his own reflection. And now, his connection to the Draugur was giving him nightmares.

Gumball gently stroked Marshall’s hair. “Mmm… ‘morning,” murmured Marshall, only half awake. “Five more minutes.” He scooted lower into the bed, now face to face with Gumball.

“G’morning, sleepyhead,” Gumball said softly. Marshall Lee opened his eyes. Gumball was inches from his face, his brilliant blue eyes sparkling in the dim morning light. “You wanna know a secret?”

“Mmm-hmm?” 

Gumball leaned even closer, their noses and foreheads touching. “I really like you.”

“Awww, Gummy. I really like you too. In fact…” Marshall looked around, as if to spot any eavesdroppers. “I kinda have a crush on Prince Gumball. But don’t tell him, it’s a secret.”

“It’s safe with me,” Gumball grinned. A knock on the door interrupted their flirting, and begrudgingly Gumball rolled out of bed to answer it. Marshall Lee watched as Gumball pulled on a pair of pants, paused to straighten his posture, then answered the door. Marshall’s eyes lingered on the prince’s hips, his neck, his knuckles, his ears. He wasn’t what Marshall would normally consider ‘sexy’, but he was definitely cute, and extremely beautiful. Marshall was beginning to realize he was in love.

Gumball shut the door, and returned to the bed, a thick yellow envelope in hand. “What’s that?” Marshall asked.

“A missive from the Door Masters.”

“You mean like the Door Mistress? There’s more of them?” Marshall Lee looked thoughtful. A while ago the Door Mistress had stolen stuff from both of them, as well as from Fionna, Cake, and a few other of their friends, and they had gone on an adventure, their first adventure as a group, to recover their lost goods. The Door Mistress appeared to have the power to create doors to other places in Ooo at will, a frustrating power that made her very difficult to track.

“Yes, there are a small number of them. I’ve agreed to leave them alone if they don’t bother any of my citizens or friends. Looks like they’ve heard about the doom door as well, then,” said Gumball, placing the envelope on his side table. It was oddly heavy, he noticed, probably containing something more than just a letter.

“What the lump is doom door?”

“It’s how I plan to defeat - or at least trap - the Draugur. Come, I’ll explain at breakfast.” Gumball grabbed Marshall’s hand, trying to pull him out of bed.

“Noooo… five more minutes,” Marshall whined, resisting.

“Common, up. We have stuff to do.”

“I’ll bet I can change your mind. Five more minutes. Wanna bet?” Marshall held out his hand, the rest of him still under the blankets.

Gumball pouted, and shook Marshall’s hand. “Fine, but I don’t see how…”

Marshall pulled Gumball onto the bed by his hand, and instantly wrapped his legs around Gumball’s midriff. “Like this,” he said, then, leaning forward slowly, kissed Gumball on the lips. At first their noses bumped awkwardly, then Gumball tilted his head and suddenly they fit perfectly.

It had been centuries since Marshall Lee had experienced a proper, romantic kiss, and this was even better than he remembered. Gumball’s lips were astoundingly soft and warm, and had a slight taste of bubble gum. Marshall’s arms squeezed Gumball tightly around his waist, pulling him closer. Gumball made a soft, longing sound, and his tongue worked its way between Marshall’s lips. The vampire pulled back, though, breaking the kiss.

“Five more minutes?” he pleaded. Gumball smiled.

“Ten.” He leaned in for another kiss, flooded with passion and excitement. Their lips met, warm and wet, and the world disappeared around them. No longer were Marshall or Gumball conscious of the bed beneath them, or the room around them. All that existed were Gumball and Marshall, their fingers passionately stroking each other’s hair and cheeks. Nothing mattered except being as physically close together as possible….

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Gumball laid on his back, feeling his eyelids grow heavy. “Marshall Lee Abadeer, you make me melt,” he said.

“Mmf,” agreed Marshall, his nose pressed against Gumball’s cheek. He could feel himself falling back to sleep.

Gumball breathed in deeply, then kissed Marshall on his nose once more. “Common, I’m hungry. We’ve got fried tomatoes, strawberry waffles, smoked salmon, bacon, whatever you like.” He flopped out of the bed, and left to take a shower.

Marshall Lee’s clothes had returned from the laundry, and he smiled as he dressed. He could hear Gumball humming to himself in the shower. The thought of Gumball covered in soap suds was incredibly sexy. He smiled to himself as he pictured the pink prince, dripping wet.

* * *

After they had both showered, and Gumball had finally convinced Marshall Lee to brush his teeth and fangs, they left for the same balcony where they had eaten dinner the evening before. Fortunately, the low angle of the sun meant that the balcony was protected by the shade of a nearby turret. Over breakfast, Gumball explained his plan to trap the Draugur. “I’ve had a ‘doom door’ specially constructed for the Draugur.” Marshall Lee raised his eyebrows in question. “It’s a large stone slab, rinsed in virgin water created by the water prince, and engraved with a special spell that should make it impossible to open, and impossible to escape from once sealed behind. It’s not finished, there’s one more step, but we can finish it ourselves once we get to the Draugur’s lair.”

“Slamacow, that’s great! Umm…” Marshall paused. “How am I gonna travel with you? I mean, I can’t stay in the sun for ten hours, I’ll burn.”

Gumball grinned mischievously. “I’m wearing a flannel shirt,” he said, gesturing at his chest. He was indeed wearing a pink and grey striped flannel shirt, with two pockets in front. “You can transform into your bat form and chill in my pocket! Look, there’s even a little flap here you can use as a hat!”

Marshall Lee frowned, but didn’t say anything. It was humiliating enough that he couldn’t spend time with his friends outdoors, but traveling in a pink striped flannel shirt… “Couldn’t I like… I dunno, hide in your backpack or something?”

“Well, yeah, but then I won’t be able to talk to you. I still have a bunch of questions that need answering. Plus, my body heat will keep you warm.”

“I suppose… So how are we going to do this whole ‘trapping’ thing?” he asked.

“I’m assuming the Draugur lives in some sort of cave, presumably in the mountains in the eastern part of the Unknown Lands. We’ll have a better idea once we get the map; my scholars should have finished it last night. With any luck we’ll arrive there before the Draugur leaves, then we just cover the entrance with the door and we’re set!”

“What if it’s already gone by the time we get there? What then?”

Gumball had already considered this situation, and had come up with a contingency plan, but it was… unpleasant. “We’ll cross that bridge if and when we get there,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. Marshall eyed him suspiciously, but didn’t say anything. “Once we’re finished eating, I have to make an announcement to my people, so they know Fionna’s in charge. Then we’ll pack up and head out. Is there anything you need from your house?”

“I dunno, I’m gonna need clothes, and Schwabelle will need some more food and water.”

“Do you wanna go get them yourself, or should I send a banana guard?”

“I can get them. Schwabelle doesn’t like strangers.” Marshall Lee finished his tomato juice and stood. “Meet you back here in an hour?”

“Deal,” Gumball agreed, and they went their separate ways.

* * *

A loud trumpet blast sounded over the city, indicating that Prince Gumball was about to make an announcement. Candy people gathered in the piazza in front of the castle, awaiting their ruler.

Gumball swallowed nervously as he peeked out from behind the door to the balcony. He disliked addressing large crowds at the best of times (although he knew he was quite good at public speaking), and this time he would be telling a bold-faced lie to his citizens. It was for their own good, he reasoned. Candy people could explode if they became overly frightened, and knowing that their prince was leaving them to protect Ooo from the most dangerous creature since The Lich, a trip he might not return from, was a bit frightening.

Forcing himself to smile and breath, Gumball opened the door wide and waved at the people gathered below. There weren’t as many as he had initially feared, and the butterflies in his stomach calmed somewhat. “People of the Candy Kingdom, I come before you today to bring you good news! A herald from the Sand Kingdom has brought news that the Sand King would like to enter into trade agreements with the Candy Kingdom.” A few people in the audience sighed and left; trade and commerce was not particularly exciting. “The king has requested that I appear before him as the chief negotiator, which means I will be taking a short leave of absence. In my place, I have appointed Fionna the Human, Hero of Ooo, as interim acting ruler of the Candy Kingdom, with Cake the Cat as her adviser and visier. As trade negotiations may prove to be challenging, I cannot state when I shall return. As always, I am proud to be your prince, and I plan on doing everything within my power to protect this kingdom from danger… uh, financial danger. Thank you.” He bowed and left, hoping that his impromptu speech would keep the candy people from freaking out. If he didn’t return though… he shuddered to think of what would become of the kingdom. Fionna was very wise and fair, but she was also very young and naive.

Peppermint Maid appeared, slightly out of  breath. “The scholars and cartographers have finished their map. They apologize for the crudity and imprecision with which it was drawn, and asked me to remind you that it would have been a much better map if they were given more time.

“It’s fine, tell them not to worry. This will do,” said Gumball, inspecting the map. It was indeed quite crude, with a large, squiggly blue circle drawn around the area where the Draugur’s Lair was likely hidden. Unfortunately, due to it’s harsh environment, very few people had explored the Unknown Lands, and very little was known about what existed there, or even where the northern coastline was. “Please fetch the camping gear, and meet me and Lord Monochromicorn by the stables.”

Peppermint Maid curtsied and turned to leave.

“Oh, and Peppermint Maid?” She stopped and turned to look at Gumball, her face painted with concern. “There is a chance that I may not return from this trip. If none of us make it back, I think it’s safe to assume that we failed, and that the city must be fortified against the Draugur. However, there is also a chance that Lord Monochromicorn and Marshall Lee will return without me. If this happens, it means that I will not be coming back. Do not allow Marshall Lee, or anyone for that matter, to try to find me. Do you remember what we discussed about my successor?” Peppermint Maid nodded solemnly. “Good. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Gumball walked down to the stables. Lord Monochromicorn was being fitted with a special harness that would help distribute the weight of the doom door, so he would be able to fly properly.

“How ya’ doing, MoCro?” Gumball asked, feeding his friend a carrot.

-FINE, GOOD CARROTS- replied Lord, stamping the words out in morse with his hoof.

“Have you seen the map yet? Do you know where we’re going?” Gumball asked.

-NOT YET-

“Here, take a look.” Gumball showed Lord Monochromicorn the map, tracing their route with his finger. “I think we can avoid most of the high winds if we stick to the western coast, then cut across here.” Monochromicorn nodded in agreement. “Good. We can camp out here, by this ice lake. If we make it all the way across the tundra tomorrow, we should make it to the base of the Draugur’s mountain by nightfall.”

“Sire, I have your camping gear!” Peppermint Maid appeared, pulling a luggage cart with three camping backpacks. “Are you going to need anything else?”

“No, that should be…” Suddenly, a wave of dread overcame Gumball. He stumbled, and felt as though something was tightening in his chest. Marshall Lee was in trouble. He didn’t know how or why, but something bad had happened to Marshall Lee. “Peppermint Maid, I need to go. Marshall Lee needs help. Lord?”

Lord Monochromicorn bowed his head, allowing Gumball to mount him, and away they flew, toward Marshall Lee’s cave.

* * *

Marshall Lee’s cave was beneath a dingy old bridge, right on the southern edge of the Grasslands. Nothing seemed awry when Lord Monochromicorn and Gumball approached, although Gumball instructed his friend to fly cautiously, in case there was danger. The mouth of the cave was quiet and clear, echoing with the sound of water dripping from stalactites.

“Marshall!?! Marshall Lee!?!” Gumball called. Something was indeed wrong. Marshall Lee’s quaint house faced away from the mouth of the cave, toward a large underground lake. From the mouth of the cave, however, Gumball could see that none of the lights were on in the house. Marshall had never made it inside. Gumball shivered in the cold and damp cave air, urging Monochromicorn forward. Rounding the side of the house, Gumball saw Marshall Lee, and gasped. He was laying on the wooden deck in front of his house, and not moving. One of his arms stuck out at a funny angle, and a small trickle of blood was dripping down his neck.

Monochromicorn landed, and Gumball ran to his friend. He’s still breathing, he’s alive, thought Gumball, and he sighed. “Oh, Marshall Lee. What am I going to do with you?” He looked up, and saw a small circle of cracked shingles on the roof. It appeared as if Marshall Lee had fallen on his roof, slid off, and landed here on the deck. Gumball frowned. He’d never known Marshall to have difficulty flying. A nervous mewing and scratching sounds came from the other side of the front door; apparently Schwabelle knew something was wrong as well. “Let’s get you inside,” he said, searching Marshall for a key to the house. He found it, and let himself into the house.

“Seriously?” he cried, seeing that the path to the upstairs was a ladder rather than stairs. Returning outside, he gingerly lifted Marshall, careful of his arm. “MoCro, I’m going to open the upstairs window, can you bring Marshall up there? I can’t get him upstairs from the inside.” Lord Monochromicorn nodded, and Gumball draped Marshall over the black horse’s back.

Gumball ran back inside and quickly scaled the ladder to Marshall’s bedroom. The upstairs window was open, Marshall must have left that way two days ago, thought Gumball. He pulled Marshall through the window off of Monochromicorn’s back, and carefully laid him in his bed. He took care to make sure Marshall’s arm was in a good position; it looked like it might be broken. Supplies, he thought to himself, I need supplies. He slid down the ladder, and landed with a thud.

Gumball paused and looked around. He’d been inside of Marshall Lee’s house before, but only in the living room. Now he dashed into the kitchen, and filled a plastic bag with ice cubes. He tossed that into a cardboard box he found, along with some paper towels. He searched through the cupboard for an antiseptic. “Really, Marshall?” he said, pulling out a plastic bottle of vodka. Returning to the living room, he grabbed the throw blanket from the couch, and tossed it in the box as well.

He heaved the cardboard box up the ladder, and walked over to Marshall. The vampire’s pale skin seemed even paler than normal, and he was shivering. It was cold and damp in the cave, and Marshall could have been laying on the ground for over an hour, Gumball realized. He pulled Marshall’s flannel shirt off of him, and heaped additional blankets over him. “Now for your arm,” Gumball said to his unconscious friend. He examined it, and breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t anywhere near as bad as he had feared. Rather than break his arm, Marshall had simply dislocated his shoulder. Gumball grimaced as he remembered his first aid training. He’d need to re-set it. 

A patter of feet behind him made him pause. Schwabelle was pacing back and forth on the far side of the window, eyeing Gumball nervously. She seemed to know that he was helping, but still looked very on-edge. “This may sound bad, but I promise I’m helping,” Gumball said. He swallowed, then pulled on Marshall’s arm. The sickening sound of bone rubbing against bone cracked through the air, followed by a loud pop as the bone and socket were rejoined. Schwabelle hissed angrily, but continued to pace back and forth.

Gumball next moved to Marshall’s neck, where he had seen a trickle of blood earlier. He smiled when he realized that it was just Marshall’s bite marks; the fall must have broken the scabs over them causing them to bleed. He gently dabbed some vodka over the two small holes, then examined Marshall’s head. There was a small bump on the back of it, but nothing to indicate a concussion. His patient now treated, Gumball sat on Marshall’s desk chair, and began to make a small sling out of the throw blanket.


	8. Snowflake

Marshall Lee was falling through a dark void. Something cold and wet dripped from his neck, and his arm felt like it was on fire. He tried to fly, but it was so dark he couldn’t tell if he was still falling or not. He tried to scream, but his mouth felt numb and unresponsive.

A warm hand brushed his forehead, and he realized everything was dark because his eyes were closed. He slowly opened them, and found a very beautiful pink face looking at him with concern. Disorientation and an inhibiting fog in his head caused him to speak the first thought that floated through his mind.

“You’re pretty.”

Gumball laughed nervously, relaxing a bit. “How do you feel?”

“I dunno, let me check.” Marshall closed his eyes, and tried moving different parts of his body. “I’m really sore, and my right arm and shoulder are all whacked out. Ow, it hurts, Gummy,” he said, wiggling his shoulder again.

“Yeah, you dislocated your shoulder. It’ll be sore for a few days. Do you remember what happened?” Marshall Lee squinted, casting his mind back.

“Um… I remember passing the tree fort, then I got to the bridge, came in my cave… then I stopped flying. I mean, like, I suddenly couldn’t fly. I fell, I must have hit my arm on the roof of the house.” Gumball looked extremely worried.

“You lost your ability to fly? Can you fly now?” 

Marshall Lee floated a few inches from his bed, then moaned in pain and dropped back down. “Yeah, but it makes my shoulder hurt.”

“Yeah, any movement will probably hurt. I made this sling, it should help a little.” He helped Marshall into the sling, and adjusted it to support his shoulder.

“Great, thanks… Um, why do I smell like alcohol? Is that my vodka?” Marshall asked, spotting the bottle sitting on the floor by his bed. 

“Oh, I used it to clean your cuts, you scraped up your bite marks.”

“Ah, right. Ow. I don’t suppose I could have some, y’know, to drink?” he asked, trying to put on a puppy dog face. His shoulder was in tremendous pain, and he knew from experience that alcohol could soften pain.

“Nope. Sorry, doctor’s orders.” Gumball actually quite wanted to give him some. Marshall Lee, drunk, in bed. It would be a dream come true. He felt himself get excited just at the thought. No, he had to keep his head. They had to leave soon if they were to make it to the ice lake by nightfall. Gumball sat at the edge of Marshall’s bed, and gently drew figure-eights with the very tip of his forefinger on Marshall’s forehead.

“Stop, Gummy, you’re gonna make me…” He yawned. “Sleepy.”

“Good, you need to rest. Take a nap, I’ll wake you up in a bit,” said Gumball softly, watching the vampire’s eyes droop closed and smiling as he began to purr in his sleep.

Gumball set his watch for forty five minutes, then returned to the desk chair. Spinning around, he took note of Marshall Lee’s room. He’d never been up here before. There were clothes scattered everywhere, and the walls were covered with posters of various rock bands. A cherry red bass guitar sat by some recording equipment, and amplifiers were scattered around the room. String lights were wrapped around a wooden beam that ran along the ceiling, and a small red lamp sat on the desk. Gumball stood and stretched, then walked around the room, pausing here and there to inspect various bric-a-brac. He smiled when he came to the dresser, where a picture of himself sat in a dainty blue frame. It had been taken at his very first Back-Rubbing Ceremony. He had tasted the royal tarts for the first time that day, and had instantly decided to study the art and science of baking. It was a sweet memory.

Arriving at the open window, Gumball stuck his head out and whistled as quietly as he could. Lord Monochromicorn flew up to meet him, giving him a reproachful look.

“Yes, I know we’re wasting time. Can you go back to the Candy Kingdom and pick up the stone and the camping supplies? We’ll be departing from here. Let Peppermint Maid know.” Monochromicorn nodded and flew off.

* * *

Forty five minutes later, Gumball was again sitting on the edge of Marshall’s bed. He stroked Marshall’s hair, gently waking him.

“Hey. Ow!” Marshall cried, shifting his body as he woke.

“Morning, sleepyhead. Are you gonna be up for traveling?”

Marshall Lee nodded. He actually felt quite terrible, and really wanted to spend the next few days resting in bed, but he also desperately wanted to be with Gumball. Plus, defeating the Draugur held special importance to him.

“MoCro should be back in a few minutes with all of our camping gear, then we can get going. Are you sure you’re going to be-“ Marshall Lee interrupted him with soft kiss on the lips. “-alright?” Marshall Lee nodded again.

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. Besides, I’ll have the best caretaker ever to look after me.”

“Who’s that?” Gumball asked, feigning ignorance. He liked hearing Marshall give him complements.

“You, Gumbrain!” He poked Gumball playfully in the side, making him giggle. A whinny interrupted them; Lord Monochromicorn had returned. “Meet you outside? I’d rather take the window, what with my shoulder…”

“Sure. Be careful, though. I don’t want you falling again.” Gumball tenderly rubbed his cheek. His bedroom window was indeed quite large, and for someone who could fly was probably much easier to navigate than the skinny front door.

Outside, Marshall Lee glanced at Lord Monochromicorn and giggled. The black horse, normally majestic and composed, had been fitted with what looked like a long pink baby sling. A giant stone slab was tucked inside, along with a few backpacks laden with camping gear.

“Hey, Marshall Lee, do you know how to set up a tent?” Gumball asked. He knew that Marshall had spent some time camping with Ice Queen, before she became crazy, but that must have been almost a thousand years ago.”

“Of course I do! I’m, like, the king of camping,” Marshall Lee said resolutely. He inspected one of the bags of gear. “Hey, why are we bringing tennis rackets?”

“Those are snow shoes, silly.” Marshall Lee blushed, grinning sheepishly. It had been almost 800 years since the last time he had gone camping, and a thousand since he had camped in snowy weather. “Are you packed? Is Schwabelle all taken care of?”

“Oh, right.” Marshall floated back up to his room, then returned a few minutes later with an old leather duffle bag.

“Are you completely sure you feel up to coming? I can do this by myself, you know.”

“Yes, I know, and also yes, I’m definitely coming along.” Marshall frowned, a little annoyed. He knew that Gumball was just looking out for his best interests, but it was really just a sore shoulder, and he knew how to take care of himself.

“OK, just checking. Here, get in my pocket.” Marshall transformed into his bat form, and flew over to Gumball, landing on his shoulder.

“It’s interesting, my shoulder feels fine when I’m like this,” Marshall noted. His sling had disappeared along with the rest of his clothing. He had never fully understood how his ability to transform shapes worked. As long as I’m not naked when I turn back into human form, he reasoned, I won’t question it.

“Aww, your nose looks like an upside-down heart,” Gumball said, rubbing the top of Marshall’s head with his index finger. “Here, I added a handkerchief to make it extra soft.” He held his pocket open, and Marshall Lee climbed inside. His ears poked out from under the pocket flap, twitching occasionally. It was absolutely adorable, Gumball thought. “My little pocket monster.”

“Don’t make me bite you!” Marshall threatened playfully. Gumball mounted Lord Monochromicorn, and with an echo of thunder, away they flew.

* * *

Once they had entered the Ice Kingdom, Gumball tapped Marshall gently. “Hey, can I ask you a question?” he said.

“Shoot.” said Marshall Lee, his voice slightly squeaky in his bat form.

“So, if your dad was fully human, how’d he live for a thousand years?” This question had been weighing on Gumball’s mind for a while, but he hadn’t brought it up since his father was an emotional subject for Marshall.

“I was wondering when you’d ask that. When my parents got married, my mom gave my dad a magic amulet, the Lapis Luce Amulet. It’s an ancient demon artifact, no one knows how old it is. I think it’s one of the few items in Ooo that contains magic from before the Mushroom War. It imparts the wearer with a few demon powers, like long life, a weak form of telepathy, the ability to commune with the dead, et cetera. Kind of like the Nightosphere Amulet, but more chaotic neutral than chaotic evil. Or something like that; I don’t even remember seeing it, I’ve just read about it in demon history books.”

Gumball thought hard, trying to connect dots in his head. Something about the term “Lapis Luce Amulet” sounded familiar, or at least important, but he couldn’t place it. And the power of weak telepathy also seemed to fit in somewhere, but… He sighed. Everything was connected somehow, he just couldn’t wrap his mind around it.

“Have you ever had trouble flying before?”

“Nope. First time that’s happened. Maybe I just wasn’t looking where I was going, and hit a stalactite. Or a stalagmite. Whichever one hangs from the ceiling.”

“Stalactite,” Gumball said, thoughtful.

“Yeah, that. I could have sworn I just… dropped, though. Gummy, is that going to happen again?”

“I don’t know, but I think it’s somehow connected to the Draugur.”

“Gummy?” Marshall’s voice broke. “Do you think… is there any way we can rescue my dad? I mean, he’s probably still alive right now, but dying fast.”

Gumball bit his lip. He’d already thought about it, but the two options for trapping the Draugur made it impossible to save Marshall’s dad. Either they would arrive before he died, in which case they couldn’t risk entering the cave, and would just seal the entrance with the doom door, or they would arrive after he had died, and the Draugur was already out looking for a new companion. They’d have to figure out how to lure the Draugur back into the cave, something that Gumball suspected would be incredibly dangerous.

“I’m not sure,” he said simply, not wanting to upset Marshall Lee.

“OK,” sighed Marshall, sensing the unspoken in Gumball’s voice.

“Hey umm… What are we gonna do for our date when we get back?” asked Gumball, trying to change the subject. He felt Marshall wiggle in his pocket.

“Let’s see… Something fun, something romantic… We could have dinner at my place, I make really good tomato soup. I’ll play you some songs that I wrote for your birthday party, then we can watch the moon rise over the forest. Then… I might have a special surprise for you.” Gumball couldn’t see Marshall’s face, but he could imagine Marshall’s devious grin.

“Sounds perfect.” Lord Monochromicorn whinnied as it began to snow. “It’s getting cold, let’s land and bundle up,” Gumball responded, patting the horse’s main. They swooped low, and landed by a massive frozen tree hanging with icicles. It was overcast, and giant snowflakes were beginning to fall from the sky.

Marshall Lee hopped out of Gumball’s pocket and flew in a small circle, stretching his wings. “Don’t forget about-“ Gumball warned as Marshall transformed into his human form.

“OWW!”

“-your shoulder,” sighed Gumball as Marshall slumped against the trunk of the tree. “It’ll hurt for a few days,” he reminded, rubbing the vampire’s arm. “You should put on something warmer. Here, I’ve got a nice jacket for you.”

Gumball rummaged in the camping bags for their winter wear. He pulled out two heavy blue jackets, two knit gloves, and two wool hats. After putting on his own jacket, he draped the other over Marshall. “There, isn’t that better?”

Marshall shivered as he nodded. “I hate snow.”

Gumball laughed. “But it’s so beautiful! Look at these snowflakes!” He caught a large one on the tip of his glove. “Did you know each snowflake is unique?” Marshall humphed, unimpressed, but he looked at the snowflake on Gumball’s glove. It actually was quite beautiful, each arm forking and splitting like lightning. “Think about it. There is no other snowflake in Ooo like this one, there never has been and there never will. It only lasts a few minutes before it melts, and only the two of us get to see its beauty. I’d say that makes us the luckiest people in Ooo.” He blew the snowflake off of his glove, onto Marshall’s nose where it melted.

“You’re a hopeless romantic, has anyone ever told you that?” Marshall asked, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

Gumball rummaged in one of the camping bags, and pulled out a couple of carrots. After feeding them to Monochromicorn, Gumball helped Marshall onto the horse’s back. The sky was cloudy enough that, with his hat on, Marshall Lee didn’t need to worry about getting burned. Gumball mounted behind Marshall, wrapping his arms around the vampire’s waist. Although he appreciated the beauty of the frozen tundra, Gumball didn’t particularly care for the cold weather. Being made from bubblegum, the cold air made his arms and legs stiff and his hair brittle.

With an echo of thunder, Lord Monochromicorn took off again, into the howling wind. Leaning his head back onto Gumball’s shoulder, Marshall whined, “Next time we go on an adventure, can we go to the desert?”

“Actually, this is technically a desert,” called Gumball, struggling to make himself heard through the thin air. “A desert is just a place that receives less than twenty inches of precipitation per year. This snow is actually quite uncommon this far north, usually it’s just a dry, frozen wasteland. If you consider-“

“Shut up, Gumface, I meant let’s go somewhere warm. You know what I meant!” Marshall said, catching sight of Gumball’s smirk.

* * *

The hours passed as the two princes flew further into the Unknown Lands. Sometimes they would fly close to the ground to avoid the dangerous updrafts in the clouds, sometimes they would fly high to avoid mountains. Gumball kept checking a small compass he wore on his wrist, making sure they were headed in the right direction. The landscape became less and less distinctive as they passed mountains and valleys, all covered in dull gray ice. As the day wore on, the clouds became darker, indicating the sun had set. Light from somewhere was bouncing off of the cloud layer, giving everything an eerie green cast.

“Are we there yet?” asked Marshall for the umpteenth time. He was getting bored and fidgety, and straddling Lord Monochromicorn’s back was causing cramps in his hips.

“No, Mr. Impatient. We’ve got another…” Gumball checked the map, then his compass. “Oh. We’re here.” They had arrived at what appeared to be a large, perfectly flat field, and Gumball indicated to Lord Monochromicorn that it was time to land.

“What’s for food?” asked Marshall hungrily, as Gumball began unpacking.

“You mean dinner?”

“Yes please.” Gumball glared at the vampire. He really was the most immature person he had ever met. 

Sighing, Gumball pulled a couple of cans out of his sack, as well as a blackened glass jar. “Chili. Here, hold this.” He handed the cans to Marshall.

“No kidding, it’s lumping cold. But what are we having for dinner? Oh, chili! I get it!” he exclaimed, reading the label on the cans. “Um… can I help with anything?”

Gumball smiled. Even though he may have the maturity of a teenager, Marshall was still remarkably kind. “Thanks, but I don’t want your shoulder to get any more jacked up. Actually, here, you can set up the cooking tripod and the lanterns. I’ll start getting some heat.” Gumball opened the lid of the dark glass jar, rolling a large black crystal onto the ground. Marshall looked at it inquisitively, then jumped back as it began to steam, melting the frozen ground around it. “It’s a heated salt crystal. It contains enough energy to stay hot for a thousand years. I wasn’t expecting to find any firewood out here.”

Marshall looked around. He hadn’t noticed it before, but there hadn’t been any plant life for the last three hours of their trip. The landscape around them was barren and gray, with occasional black spots where chunks of ice had broken free to reveal jagged rock. “You really have thought of everything haven’t you?” Marshall said, smiling. Prince Bubba Gumball, winner of three analytical deduction competitions and two common sense awards, always ready for every contingency.

Gumball frowned. He had indeed thought through dozens of possible outcomes of their journey, and a few involved a sacrifice he prayed he wouldn’t have to make. The fate of Ooo weighed heavy in his mind. He had spent the past few hours debating about whether or not he had made the right decision to include Marshall Lee, what with his whacked up shoulder, his chromatic dietary restrictions, and his distracting sexiness. Gumball mentally shook himself, trying to focus on the task at hand. Cooking chili, staying warm, creating shelter.

* * *

Half an hour later, Marshall Lee and Gumball sat shoulder to shoulder, savoring their dinner. After setting up the cooking tripod, Marshall had created a small circle of kerosine lanterns around their camping area, since the heated salt crystal, while a great source of heat, didn’t produce any light. Lord Monochromicorn was curled up in a circle, lapping at a small bucket of hot apple cider, and two tents sat side by side opposite the salt crystal, canvas flapping softly in the wind. The weather had calmed down a little, and the clouds had begun to clear.

“Hey Gummy, tell me a story,” Marshall asked. The salt crystal was remarkably warm, and both Gumball and Marshall Lee had shed their wind breakers and gloves, although Marshall kept his hat on. 

Gumball furrowed his brow, thinking. “I don’t really tell stories, but I’ll try. Just for you. Umm… Once upon a time… no, actually… a long time ago, in the kingdom of… in the grasslands, actually, there lived an ancient… snail. The snail’s name was Snorela, and she was very lonely and… old. She wanted a boyfriend, but she didn’t know any other old snails, so she was… lonely. I think she was really good at dancing-“

“Gummy?” Marshall interrupted softy, squeezing Gumball’s free hand. “I need to tell you something. Something that I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time, but even after a thousand years, it’s still not easy to say” Gumball swallowed, unsure of where this was going. “You… You really suck at telling stories.”

Gumball breathed in relief, and playfully punched Marshall in the shoulder. “You butt.”

“Ow, shoulder!” Marshall cried, nearly spilling his chili.

“Sorry! I forgot!” Gumball said, concern in his eyes. “Uh, can I do anything to make it better?” 

Marshall winced in pain. He had forgotten about his shoulder until just now. “I think a kiss would make it better.”

“A kiss? A kiss from whom?” Gumball asked teasingly.

“Well, there’s this silly pink gum boy, and I think he has a crush on me. In fact, I’m pretty darn sure. He’s really smart, really important, and really cute. Have you heard of him?” Gumball nodded, grinning ear to ear. “I know that he’s usually very busy, but if you see him, could you ask him to kiss my shoulder?”

Gumball looked off into space, then turned back to Marshall. “I just asked him. He said he’d gladly bestow a kiss on your lovely shoulder, if it would make it feel better.” Leaning over, Gumball gently kissed Marshall’s shoulder, peeling off his heavy jacket. “All better?”

Marshall nodded appreciatively. “All better.” A serious look came over Marshall’s face. “Hey, Gummy, I feel like I should let you know something, if we’re going to do this.”

“Do what?” Gumball said, noting the seriousness in his voice.

“Y’know, the date, the holding hands, the kissing, the being ridiculously cute when no one’s looking. I mean, I really like it, and I really like you, but I’ve lived for so long… you should know that I come with a bit of baggage.” He looked deep into Gumball’s soft blue eyes. They were so beautiful, so innocent, yet so wise.

“Like, emotional baggage, or heavy furniture and boxes of clothing baggage?”

“Emotional.”

“I kind of assumed. Marshall…” Gumball held the vampire’s hand, stroking it gently. “You are the most unique person I’ve ever met. You are truly one of a kind… like that snowflake. And I am honestly the luckiest person in all of Ooo, ‘cause I get the date, the holding hands, the being cute. I don’t care that you’ve got baggage, we all do. You, maybe more than most, but I wouldn’t give this up for anything. You’re mine. You’re my little snowflake.” He brushed a small tear out of Marshall’s red eyes, holding his face. “My snowflake,” he repeated, and kissed him deeply on the lips.

Before, when they had kissed, it had been fast, passionate, longing. This time was different. It was slow, soft, tender. Marshall’s hand cupped Gumball’s back, pulling him closer, their breath hot on each other’s cheeks.

Lord Monochromicorn uncomfortably neighed, eyeing the two boys. They were strange, but so were all bipeds.

“Uh… Maybe we should move this to the tent?” said Gumball, feeling Monochromicorn’s eyes on them. “You too, MoCro. Time for bed, we’ve got another long day tomorrow.” Gumball scooped up the salt crystal in the empty chili pan, and placed it between their two tents. Monochromicorn stretched and, with a reproachful glance at Gumball, disappeared into the longer of the two tents.

“Common, let’s go,” said Gumball, pulling gently on Marshall’s wrist.

“Wait, look at that!” Gumball turned, and followed Marshall’s finger skyward. The clouds had almost completely dissipated, and a beautiful turquoise and violet aurora was spreading across the sky. “Wow, that’s beautiful.”

“So beautiful…” sighed Gumball, his eyes resting on Marshall’s face. The vampire’s eyes were wide with wonder, and his mouth slightly open. For the first time, Gumball saw him not as an immature teenager, but now as a naive boy, gaping at the wonders of the world. Marshall glanced at Gumball, and noticed his stare. The vampire’s forked tongue licked his lips, and now Gumball saw a suave, edgy, sexy man.

“Ready?” asked Marshall, and led Gumball into their tent, the candy prince’s heart racing. 


	9. Heart to Heart

Marshall Lee grinned as he entered the tent. Looking around, he noted that nearly every item had a touch of pink to it. The kerosine lantern hanging from the center pole had a pink metal handle, the small stool by the entrance was embossed with the pink emblem of the Candy Kingdom, and the two sleeping bags, laid out side-by-side on an inflatable mattress as blankets, were pink and purple striped.

“Common, common! Get in your bed stuffs!” Gumball called, already pulling clothes out of his knapsack.

“What’s the hurry?”

Gumball paused, underwear in hand, looking at Marshall longingly. “I want you,” he said simply. “Also, my toes are cold. What?” he asked, as Marshall Lee began to blush.

“Uh… Can you turn around while I change?”

Giggling softly, Gumball turned his back to Marshall. Soft sounds of clothing rustling came from the other side of the tent, making the pink prince’s heart race. Marshall Lee, the vampire king, was probably naked behind him. He hummed quietly to himself, trying to fight the urge to turn around and inspect the vampire’s body.

“OK, done,” said Marshall, floating over to Gumball and wrapping his arms around his waist, pulling him close.

Gumball pushed him off playfully. “Hey, I’m not changed yet. Hold on…” he said, pulling his shirt off. “Close your eyes, please?” Marshall laid down on the mattress and covered his eyes with his hand as Gumball continued to change into his pajamas. “You can look now,” Gumball whispered, much closer than Marshall had expected. He had somehow crawled into their makeshift bed without the vampire noticing, and now he wrapped his arms around the vampire, kissing him on his forehead, then his nose, then his lips. Slowly, the kiss deepened, mouths open, as their fingers worked their way into each other’s hair.

“Wah!” exclaimed Gumball, breaking the kiss.

“What’s wrong?”

“Your tongue… it’s… different,” admitted Gumball, recovering from the shock of feeling Marshall’s long, snakelike tongue in his mouth. The vampire demon stuck his tongue out, blowing a raspberry at Gumball.

“Do you like it?” Gumball nodded. “Good, ‘cause it’s not going anywhere, except here.” Marshall licked Gumball’s cheek gently. “And here…” He licked Gumball’s chin. “And down here…” He slid his long, dexterous tongue down Gumball’s neck to his shoulder, back up around his neck, then up to his lips. Gumball shivered in excitement, making Marshall smile. It had been quite a while since Marshall had experienced companionship, and it was Gumball’s first time in a serious context. They had each dated others before, but this was somehow different. Dangerous. Passionate. Comfortable. Marshall traced Gumball’s lips with his tongue, savoring the slight bubblegum taste of the candy prince’s skin. A strangled moan of passion escaped Gumball’s lips, causing Marshall to back off.

“Careful, MoCro might hear us.”

“Not a chance,” said Gumball, his hands exploring up and down Marshall’s back. “MoCro once slept through a thunderstorm. We’re not going to wake him.” Indeed, Marshall’s ears twitched slightly as he picked up strange regular sounds that he could only assume were how monochromicorns snored.

Gumball compressed Marshall Lee against his chest, trying to be as close as possible to him. The demon heritage in Marshall meant that he produced very little body heat, and Gumball wanted him to be as warm as possible. “Come ‘ere, my snowflake,” he whispered, now sliding one hand up and down Marshall’s chest. Although the vampire was very skinny, his chest was muscled and well-defined, and Gumball felt his muscles ripple as shivers of pleasure shot through his body. “My sexy snowflake,” Gumball cooed.

Marshall looked at him with teasing red eyes. “How exactly is a snowflake sexy, mister?” he asked playfully. Gumball rolled over onto Marshall, straddling his pelvis.

“Like this…” he said, kissing him on his shoulder, then traveling down his chest, stopping to nuzzle the small patch of hair between his pectorals.

“What’re you doing?” asked Marshall, his breathing shallow and excited.

“Well, you gave me a special kiss, with your special tongue. So I’m going to return the favor the only way I know how: all-over body kisses.”

“I’d like that very… ahhh.” Marshall laid his head back, tilting his head back as Gumball kissed all around his neck and shoulders, pausing to nuzzle his special claimed spot at the nape of Marshall’s neck.

“Uh… I’m not going to fast, am I?” Gumball asked, pulling back. “I mean, I just realized we haven’t even gone on a proper date yet.”

Marshall Lee gently stroked Gumball’s pink cheek bones. “Remember, Gummy? I told you I’d let you know if there was something I didn’t want or like. Please… don’t stop.” Gumball nodded, and took Marshall’s wrist in his hand, kissing up his arm, then down his side.

“You have a cute belly-button,” Gumball said as he shifted over to Marshall’s other arm, again starting at the wrist and working his way up to the shoulder, then down his side. A small trail of hair led from just above the vampire’s stomach down toward his groin. Gumball smiled, playfully pulling on some of the hairs with his mouth. He had never, in his wildest dreams, thought he would get to do this with anyone, let alone Marshall Lee Abadeer. He could feel his body getting excited, his pajama bottoms pulling tight as his passion mounted. A finger slipped under the waistline of Marshall’s shorts.

“Stop, Gummy. No.” Marshall shook his head, a pleading look on his face. Gumball sat up, gently rubbing Marshall’s chest with his fingertips.

“What’s wrong, snowflake?”

“Remember when I said I’ve got baggage? Some of that comes from being a vampire. So… so I can’t really get…” He trailed off, his face flushed with embarrassment.

It took Gumball a moment to figure out what Marshall was getting at. Then it dawned on him. “No heartbeat. No blood flow. But… I saw you yesterday, and your… y’know, it was…” Gumball struggled for words, never having used the correct vocabulary before. 

“Sometimes, when I’m laying still, my blood will pool and… yeah. And sometimes, if I try really hard, it kinda works… but…” Marshall’s face fell. Gumball could tell that this was a sensitive topic for him.

“Don’t worry, snowflake. I’m happy to just snuggle.” Gumball rolled off of Marshall, and curled up in the vampire’s arms. “I’m happy to just be here with you, like this.” Gumball felt his body relax, and, although he was a little disappointed, he was also a little relieved. Gumball’s past experiences with dating were limited, to say the least. Although Marshall seemed fine with it, Gumball himself was worried that he was moving too fast. Only a couple of nights ago had they admitted their feelings for each other. “So… have you ever had… you know, made it to tier 15?” Gumball asked, his face buried in Marshall’s chest.

“Kinda. Remember when I was dating that crudface Ashley? We once tried… but um… it didn’t go so well. Plus, y’now, girl bits.” Gumball smiled into Marshall’s chest, a hunch of his confirmed. “Gummy, can we talk about something else?”

“Of course. I never got to finish my story about Snorela, wanna hear that?”

“Nope. Sorry, but you suck at storytelling.”

“Oh. I’ll work on that, promise. Until then, we can just… cuddle?”

“Nothing would make me happier. Except perhaps cuddling in a proper bed somewhere warm. But this is nice too.” Marshall rested his chin on Gumball’s head, a tear in his eye. Being a vampire sucked, he thought.

“Hey Snowflake? When we get back to the Candy Kingdom, I’ll make you a special serum that’ll help with your… blood flow problem. Then, if you want, we can…” Gumball trailed off, loosing himself to sleep.

“Yes please,” sighed Marshall, as he fell asleep as well.

* * *

Everything was gray, and the sounds of a clock ticking echoed eerily. Marshall called out, fearful and alone, but no one answered. A grinding sound rang out, like stone against stone, as the world began to dim. Darker and darker, until there was no light left. The world began to shake, as if the footsteps of a massive creature were approaching, then the shaking stopped. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Marshall could make out tiny lights, like giant dust motes in sunshine, floating through the gloom. He heard a sucking, slurping sound as the lights began to move, spiraling… no, forming a whirl pool, a sideways vortex, extending far back from where Marshall stood. Air began to rush toward the swirling vortex, as if a massive animal were sucking the very universe into its mouth. Marshall turned and ran as fast as he could, but the suction grew stronger and stronger, until his feet couldn’t find purchase and he began to slide backwards. Everything around him was disappearing into the vortex, spinning and blinking out of existence, and the demon boy would fall in any second. Sparing a glance over his shoulder, two eyes, red and crazed, peered out from the depths of the vortex, seeming to beckon Marshall in. He teetered on the edge, then fell, and was immediately sucked into the center of the vortex, toward the eyes.

* * *

Marshall awoke with a scream, his arms flailing about. One made contact with Gumball, smacking him square in the face.

“Marshall! Marshall Lee! I’m here, it’s just a dream, just a dream.” Gumball grabbed Marshall by the shoulders, trying to calm him down. Marshall’s breath was shallow and out of control, he’d hyperventilate if he didn’t calm down. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he grasped Gumball’s hand, squeezing it painfully hard.

“Gummy… Gummy… you weren’t there. It was empty, you weren’t there. I was alone…” Marshall’s slender frame shook with fear.

“Shhh… it’s just a dream, it can’t hurt you. Look, I’m here. I’m real, I’m here.” Gumball took Marshall in his arms, trying to calm the poor boy. “I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you. We’re safe.” Marshall looked up at Gumball with sad, fearful eyes.

“Promise?”

“Yes, I promise. I’ll keep you safe, I’ll always be here, as long as you need me.”

“I’ll always need you, Gummy,” Marshall sobbed, a fresh wave of tears falling from his eyes.

“I’ll always need you too, my snowflake.” Marshall swallowed, getting his breathing under control. He kissed Gumball, just to make sure it had really been a nightmare, and that this, the reality of being here with Gumball, wasn’t the dream instead. “And you know what else I need?” Gumball asked, trying to get Marshall’s mind off of his nightmare. “I need you to kiss me on the nose, right now. It’s very important!”

Marshall kissed Gumball’s nose, then asked, “Why’s it so important?”

“Because my nose wanted a kiss!”

Marshall laughed, his body beginning to relax. “Any other part of you want a kiss?”

Gumball smiled. “Yep. Just about every part in fact. But I think that’ll have to wait, because I’m, like, crazy tired.”

“Me too.” Marshall pulled Gumball’s arms around his body, curling into the pink prince’s chest. He breathed in deeply, taking in Gumball’s sugary scent, and, with one last sigh, fell back to sleep. Gumball stroked the vampire’s hair, wishing he could do something to keep the nightmares from occurring, but he drifted off to sleep before he could think any more. 


	10. A Frosty Friend

Marshall Lee yawned and stretched. It had been a long time since he felt this well-rested, despite the nightmare. Who needs teddy bears when they have the crowned prince of the Candy Kingdom, he thought to himself. He rolled over and felt around for Gumball... Nothing. His eyes snapped open. He was alone in the tent.

"Gumball!!!" Marshall sat up, tangling himself in the sleeping bag blanket. "Gumball where are you?" Tears began to sting in his eyes, something terrible had happened to his prince, and he had slept right through it. He hadn't been there for him...

"Marshall? Are you alright?" The familiar, cultured voice of the candy prince came from outside of the tent. Feeling relieved, Marshall bent down and exited the tent. Gumball was kneeling by the cooking tripod, a cast iron pan hanging over the salt crystal. 

"Oh Gummy, I didn't realize you were out here, I thought... I thought something bad had happened to you." The pink prince stared at Marshall, a look of concern and shock on his face. "Next time just let me know you're getting up, so I won't... Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Uh... Marshall, you're standing in direct sunlight, and you're not burning. What the cabbage?" Marshall squinted as he looked up at the sky. Indeed, the harsh morning sun had peeked out from behind the clouds, sending sharp shadows across the arctic landscape.

The pale vampire inspected his arms, surprised. He'd felt direct sunlight before, but it had always hurt, like a bad sunburn. This was something new. It felt warm, comforting, enjoyable, like taking a nice hot shower.

"Marshall?" Gumball said cautiously, concern etched across his face. "Marshall, can you fly over here?"

"Why?"

"Just trust me, please."

"OK." Marshall leaned forward, wobbled for a second as his knees bent, then stumbled forward, nearly planting his face in the frozen soil. "Gummy, I can't fly!"

"Crud cakes... Marshall, get inside the tent now." Something in Gumball's voice spooked the vampire, how intensely he spoke.

"Uh... OK, why?"

"You've temporarily lost some of your vampire powers. You need to get out of the sun before-" Suddenly Marshall winced in pain as his skin began to boil, making an angry sizzling noise. His knees buckled, and Gumball rushed to his side.

"Marshall!" Placing an arm around the pale boy's shoulder, Gumball guided him back into the tent, and gently laid him down on the inflatable mattress.

“Yow, that hurts!" exclaimed Marshall, eyeing the boils and burns all over his arms and chest. He hadn’t bothered to put a shirt on before exiting the tent, a decision he now regretted. “At least I’m not paying as much attention to the pain in my shoulder,” he said, smiling a little.

Gumball laughed, gently rubbing Marshall’s neck. “I have something that might help… it was made for frostbite, but it should help a little with the pain.” He rummaged through his bag, pulling out a small bottle filled with a white cream. “Here, put this on everywhere it hurts.”

Marshall spread it over his chest and arms, wincing slightly as the cold cream contacted his warm skin. It had a funky metallic smell, and itched a little, but it did help with the pain. “I don’t know where I’d be without you, Gummy.”

“At home, feeding your cat,” replied Gumball, standing. “Let me grab breakfast before it burns, I’ll right back.” 

Marshall watched, enjoying the view as Gumball bent over to crawl out the front flap of the tent. He laid down, thankful that his back hadn’t been burned, and watched the canvas of the tent sway in the wind. The warmth of the salt crystal had kept the tent nice and warm the previous night, but now Gumball had moved it to cook breakfast, and the tent was slowly loosing its heat. Marshall shivered. This was the second time he had lost some of his vampire powers. What if they didn’t return next time? What if he lost all of his powers? His body hadn’t been technically alive in nearly a millennium, would the lack of a heartbeat mean he would just collapse? He shivered again, this time from fear rather than cold.

Gumball re-entered the tent, holding two tin plates and a pair of tin cups. “Bacon and tomato juice!” he exclaimed, setting one of the plates on Marshall’s lap, then kneeling beside him.

“What, no fancy breakfast?” Marshall asked, thinking of the previous morning’s breakfast.

“What were you expecting?”

“I dunno, eggs, toast, pancakes?”

“You can’t even eat pancakes, they’re not red!” Gumball raised his eyebrows at his finicky friend.

“Bacon pancakes? Those are red.”

“Tell you what, when we get back I’ll make you some bacon pancakes. But for now, eat up.”

The two friends finished their breakfast, chatting about their upcoming date. Marshall sat in Monochromicorn’s shadow as Gumball packed up their camp, feeling useless. “Are you sure I can’t do anything to help?” Marshall asked, watching Gumball huff as he packed the two tents.

“No, thanks, I’ve got it.” In truth, Gumball would have loved some help, but he didn’t see what Marshall could do in the direct sunlight, and he didn’t want the vampire to hurt himself again. Marshall transformed into a bat, and flew to Gumball, nestling under his hat. In his bat form, he was a little more light-tolerant, although he still couldn’t be in the sun for too long. "That's it, let's go!" exclaimed Gumball, tucking the last piece of gear into Monochromicorn's sling, then heaving himself onto the magic horse's back. With a whinny and an echo of thunder, they took off.

Gumball and Marshall remained fairly silent during their trip. Occasionally one of them would try to start a conversation, but the thin air and howling wind made communication difficult, even with Marshall's sensitive bat ears. The landscape looked even more bleak than it had the previous day, with mountain range after mountain range, and significantly less snow and ice than before. After stopping for a brief lunch, they turned East, toward the higher, more jagged mountains. Eventually Marshall fell asleep, nestled in Gumball’s soft pink hair beneath his knit hat.

* * *

Gumball checked the map nervously, instructing Monochromicorn to fly higher. He had never been this far north, no one had in over three hundred years. The last person to come here had returned crazy, driven mad by the extreme conditions and loneliness. Even the Door Lords didn’t come here… Gumball suddenly remembered the letter from the Door Lords that had arrived the previous morning. Leaning back carefully so as not to bother Marshall, Gumball felt around in his camping bag, hoping Peppermint Maid had packed it yesterday. He found the letter, with its distinctive heaviness, and pulled it out. Careful not to drop it, or the map, Gumball opened the letter and read it.

 

 

> _Attention Prince B. Gumball of the Candy Kingdom:_
> 
> _Word has reached us that you are constructing a Doom Door. While our agreement with your kingdom does not allow us to interfere, we have felt it necessary to inform you of the dangers. A Doom Door contains magic even we do not entirely understand; they have been around since long before the Great Mushroom War. We are assuming that The Lich has returned, or some equivalent threat is approaching, which would warrant the construction and use of such an artifact. Kingdoms around Ooo are quietly making preparations, although we do not know what for. Presumably you are alone in your quest to stop The Lich, or are traveling with few companions, since the Bubblegum Guardians have not left their posts. In the event you need quick egress back to the Candy Kingdom, we have included a one-use key. This key will create a temporary, one-way door to the front gates of your Kingdom, and no where else. Use it wisely._
> 
> _We acknowledge that your kingdom and our people have had a turbulent relationship at best, and this is not intended as a token of peace. Our wellbeing, as well as yours and everyone in Ooo, is dependent on keeping The Lich at bay. Good luck, and Glob Speed._
> 
> _\- Door Lord Council_

Gumball pulled a small skeleton key out of the envelope, inspecting it closely. It was made of brass, and felt oddly heavy in his hand. The insignia of the Door Lords was stamped on the bow of the key, barely visible under the heavy tarnish. He sighed heavily. The Door Lords assumed it was the Lich, not the Draugur, that was returning, although he wasn’t sure which was worse. He carefully placed the key in his pocket, making sure it was secure, and turned his attention back to the map.

Gumball barely had time to register a loud swooshing sound before something heavy hit his head, making him loose his balance. He grasped at at Monochromicorn’s mane, but he was too late. Tumbling headfirst, Gumball fell off of the horse.

* * *

Marshall woke with a jolt, blind and disoriented. He tried to flap his wings, only to discover he had transformed back into his human form. Pulling Gumball’s hat off of his face, he looked around. He was still on the back of Monochromicorn, slumped across his mane at a weird angle. A blur of pink caught his eye, and he turned to catch sight of Gumball falling off, heading quickly toward the ground. They were a few hundred feet in the air, above a series of black rocky outcroppings. His brain scrambled to make sense of the situation: he was in his human form, they were high in the air, and Gumball was falling. Gumball was falling!

“GET HIM” Marshall shouted at Lord Monochromicorn, the magic horse already beginning to dive toward the pink shape beneath them. Marshall flattened himself against the horse’s mane to reduce drag, urging him faster. His vision blurred as his eyes filled with tears; Gumball was going to die because of him. No. He wouldn’t let it happen. “Faster! Get him, MoCro!”

“NOOOO”

Monochromicorn landed next to the pink splayed form on the ground as tears streamed from Marshall’s eyes. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Gumball’s face. The pain and guilt overcame him and he sank to the ground, sobbing. No one could survive a fall from that height, and it was all Marshall’s fault.

“Aaahhh.” Marshall looked around, surprised by the sound. It was soft and comforting, yet unintelligible. He looked around again; they were completely alone. Monochromicorn was curled in a sad circle, and Gumball’s body laid on his back in the middle of a perfect circle of snow…

“MoCro, was that snow there before he fell?” Marshall asked. It was the only snow he could see, everything else was black or dark gray rock.

“Wooowooo!” The sound seemed to come from the snow itself. Marshall jumped back as the snow shifted, rolling along the ground and heaping into piles. First an arm appeared, then a leg, then another arm… it was some sort of snowman! It stood, cradling Gumball in its arms, at least ten feet tall. Holding Gumball’s chest to what Marshall assumed was its ear, it paused, presumably listening for breathing or a pulse. “WHOOO!” it shouted, triumphantly.

“He’s alive!?!” Marshall screamed, his voice cracking. The snow creature looked up, noticing Marshall for the first time. It nodded, then grabbed Marshall by the back of his jacket and set him on his shoulder. It then walked off, toward the base of the mountain, with Monochromicorn in tow.

* * *

Gumball winced in pain. His whole body was cold and wet, and he had a headache reminiscent of smashing one’s head against a brick wall repeatedly. Something hot and heavy compressed his chest, warming him but also making breathing difficult. He opened his eyes begrudgingly, the light making his headache worse.

“Gummy! You’re awake!” Marshall smiled, his face streaked with dried tears.

“Where… where am I?” Gumball looked around. He was laying on a massive wood bed, padded with fur and brush, in a makeshift log cabin. Piles of fruit sat in baskets near an ornate wooden door, and snow shoes of different sizes hung from the walls. “What is that!?!” Gumball cried, noticing what was on his chest. It appeared to be a small dog, except made of lava. It licked his face, making a loud yapping sound.

“I think it’s a fire wolf, but I’ve never seen one this close before, so I’m not sure. How’re you feeling?” he asked, concerned.

“Like a ton of bricks fell on me. What happened?”

Marshall glanced around the room guiltily, not making eye contact. “Uh… you fell. Off of MoCro. Like, five hundred feet.”

“FIVE HUNDRED FEET!?!” Gumball sat up quickly, sending the fire wolf tumbling to the floor.

“Yeah… Hey, Gummy, if I messed something up, would you forgive me?” Gumball nodded, unsure of where Marshall was going with this. “Like, if I really royally messed up? Super big time?”

“Marshall, what are you talking about?”

“Umm… I pushed you. Off of MoCro.”

“What? Why?” Gumball frowned in disbelief.

“It was an accident, I promise! I was sleeping in your hat, and I must have lost my powers again. I transformed into my human form, and kinda sorta accidentally… pushed you off. I’m really really really sorry!” He looked at the floor, his face turning red. “But uh… Your leg is broken, I think.”

Gumball looked down at his leg. He couldn’t feel any pain, but it was swollen enough that his loose snow pants were stretched tight against his calf. He tried wiggling it, and a sharp pain made him gasp. “Yep, it’s definitely broken. Don’t worry, it’s not that bad!” he said, noticing the tears welling up in Marshall’s eyes. “And you have nothing to be sorry for, it’s not your fault.”

“Yeah it is, dude. I pushed you.”

“Not on purpose! You said it yourself, you lost your vampire powers, you were forced back into your human form! Snowflake, there’s nothing to blame yourself for.” Marshall nodded, still feeling extremely guilty. “So… where are we?”

“You landed on a snowman thing, he took us here. MoCro’s outside helping him find stuff for a splint.” Gumball raised his eyebrows in disbelief. He’d seen a lot of strange creatures in his time as prince of the Candy Kingdom, but a living snow man?

The door of the cabin opened, and a white creature entered. Gumball smiled. “Marshall, that’s a snow golem! I didn’t think there were any up here, I thought they only lived in the Snow Kingdom.”

“A snow… golem?”

Gumball nodded. “They’re super kind. I think they’re snow elementals, but I’ve never had a chance to study them.” The snow golem bowed, laying some straight pieces of wood and a length of rope on the bed next to Gumball.

“Buh… duh duh lom,” it said helpfully.

“Huh. Well, this one is definitely nice. Here, have a pear, you’ve been out for like three hours.” 

“Three hours!?! Marshall, we need to get going, we won’t make it to the Draugur’s lair in time!”

Marshall fiddled his fingers nervously. “But your leg…!”

“…Will be fine, don’t worry!” Gumball winced as he began to tie a splint. “We need to get to the base of the mountain by nightfall.”

Marshall frowned. “Gumball, you’re in no shape to travel, you just fell five hundred feet!”

“And I’m made of bouncy bubble gum! Marshall, all of Ooo is counting on us trapping the Draugur.”

“Then let MoCro and I go ahead and do it while you heal. I don’t want anything to happen to you!” 

Gumball stood, gingerly putting weight on his leg. It hurt, but the splint was working; he’d be able to travel, albeit slowly. “I’m not as fragile as you think, I can take care of myself.”

“No.” Marshall stood abruptly, his face a mixture of concern and defiance. “Bubba Gumball, you are injured, and if anything should happen to you, I’d never be able to live with myself. I feel responsible enough for your broken leg, please dont make-“

“My leg isn’t your fault, Marshall Lee. Now please, let this go. Pep Maid can fix it with some heat and spare gum when we get back.”

Marshall briefly wondered where Peppermint Maid would get spare gum from, before Gumball stumbled. Reaching out to stabilize him, Marshall said, “See? You won’t be able to do anything in this condition. Please,” he pleaded, “stay here and let MoCro and I finish this.”

“Marshall, I…” Gumball stumbled again, trying to edge his way past Marshall. The vampire stepped forward to support him, but inadvertently kneed him in his broken leg. "Oww!! Glob it, Marshall!!!” Gumball yelped, his eyes wide with pain. Marshall looked as if he had just accidentally stabbed his best friend, his eyes filling with tears.

“No, I didn’t mean… Snowflake!” Gumball cried as Marshall, his chin quivering, hovered and flew out the open door.

“You’ll be safer with me gone, Gummy…” he called, before he disappeared from sight. Gumball gasped, realizing what had just happened. He felt a sudden loneliness without Marshall by his side.


	11. Chapter 11 - My Hero

Marshall sat on the roof of the cabin, his face hidden between his knees. Tears dripped slowly down his pale cheeks, stinging in the ice-cold air. _Why?_ he asked himself. _Why did he always screw up everything? Every relationship, every adventure, every friendship… they all ended the same - pain and sadness. I should have known better_ , he thought.

“When I was much younger, my parents had a special statue carved.” Marshall jumped, not having heard Gumball approach on MoCro’s back. He didn’t look up, but could tell that the candy prince was sitting next to him, their backs against a short clay chimney. “It was a beautiful statue, made from solid marble. It was the three of us, my parents and me, arm in arm, looking over our kingdom, and it was given to me as a birthday present.” Marshall stayed silent; Gumball had never talked about his parents before, at least not to Marshall or Fionna. “Two months after my birthday, they were killed by the Lich. This was when Willa the Hero trapped it in the amber resin, you see. There were three whole days of slaughter… Even though it was dangerous, my parents spent those days - their last days - in the streets with the people of the Candy Kingdom, helping them fortify against the Lich’s attacks. It was… it was horrible…”

Gumball faltered, the memory raw and painful in his mind. Marshall grabbed his hand and squeezed gently, although he still avoided looking at the prince. “When I turned fift-… When I had my coronation, to officially take over as prince, we had a massive party in the castle. People from all over Ooo were there, from every kingdom, and we had the statue set out in the courtyard. I had too much to drink, it was the first time I had ever had alcohol at a party, and I got a little… rowdy. I don’t remember much from that night, but when I woke up the next morning, the statue had been smashed to rubble. I… I was the one who broke it. I don’t even remember doing it, and I broke it.”

Marshall sniffed, wiping the frozen tears from his face. “Uh, Gummy? I’m honored that you’re sharing this with me, but what’s this have to do with me?”

“Hold on, I’m getting there. I loved that statue, it made me feel like my parents were still with me, looking out over our kingdom. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss them, but I realized that beating myself up over breaking the statue wasn’t helping. I messed up, but all I can do now is apologize to myself and move on. And just now, I screwed up-“

“Gummy, I’m the one who screwed up.”

“Shh.” Gumball put his arm around Marshall’s shoulders. “You didn’t mean to. I know you would never, in a thousand years, intentionally push me off of MoCro. And I know you didn’t mean to knee my leg. So please know that I didn’t mean to get angry at you. You’re my friend, and nothing will change that.”

Marshall looked up at Gumball with huge wet eyes. Gumball paused, loosing himself in Marshall’s beautiful red irises for a moment. Even bloodshot from crying, they were still breathtaking. Marshall sighed, biting his lower lip. “But even so, I’m still dangerous. What if that happens again, and you get really really hurt?”

“Then don’t sleep in my hat.”

“But what if I’m flying and I loose my powers and fall on you?”

“Then don’t float directly above me.”

“And what if I trip and fall and pull you down a cliff?”

“OK, now you’re just being silly. That has nothing to do with your vampire things.”

“But really! I mean, I’m no good at this whole 'adventuring' thing. You really should have come with Fionna and Cake. I’m no hero,” he said bitterly.

There was a moment of silence, then Gumball stroked Marshall’s cheek gently. “You’re my hero,” he said simply, pulling Marshall into a hug. “There’s no one I’d rather be on this adventure with. If I seem anxious to get to the Draugur’s lair, it’s because I’ve seen enough people killed at the hands of ancient evil. No one should have to go through what I went through,” he sighed.

Marshall squeezed Gumball tightly. He had never heard about Gumball’s parents before, and felt terrible for the poor guy. Loosing one parent to the Draugur was bad enough, Marshall couldn’t imagine what it must have been like to loose both, seeing his kingdom in shambles, and having to deal with the aftermath as prince. No wonder he could be a little… chewy… sometimes.

“Gummy?”

“Yeah, Snowflake?”

Marshall paused, wondering how honest he should be about his feelings. “I think… I know, actually… that you’re a cheese brain. Seriously, you’d give LSP a run for his money on writing trashy love stories. But still… thanks, y’know, for sharing that with me. It means a lot… and… there’s no one I’d rather be on this trip with than you, either.” With that, the vampire stood, holding his hand out to help Gumball up. “Common, let’s kick the Draugur in its boing-loins.”

* * *

Five hours later, Marshall’s newfound energy and motivation were starting to wear off. For this being a “Grand Adventure”, there was an awful lot of sitting on a horse’s back and waiting. He wrapped his arms a little tighter around Gumball’s midriff, finding comfort in having the pink prince sitting directly in front of him. It was getting colder the further east they flew, and the overcast skies were getting progressively angrier-looking.

“Are we there yet?” he whined into Gumball’s ear.

“We weren’t there when you asked five minutes ago, and we aren’t there yet,” sighed Gumball.

“I’m BORED.” He buried his face into Gumball’s back, groaning into his puffy jacket.

“Let’s land, then. There’s something that we’re gonna need to do eventually, might as well do it now.” He patted Lord Monochromicorn’s mane, and they landed on a wide cliff.

Marshall gingerly flew down to the ground, worried that he would loose his ability to fly again. Offering his hand, he then helped Gumball down, careful of the prince’s leg. “So what is it we’re doing?”

“We’re finishing the Doom Door.” Gumball began to remove the massive stone from MoCro’s sling, before Marshall gently pushed him aside.

“Dude, your leg. Let me help.” The stone, although larger than himself, was surprisingly light in Marshall’s arms.

“What’s that scribbledy-gook? Looks like Gnomish,” Marshall asked, pointing at the words written on the stone.

“It’s English. Come over here, you’re looking at it upside down, silly.”

“Oh…” Marshall walked sheepishly over to where Gumball was standing. “Oh! I see. Hey, aren’t magic things usually in, like, Latin or something?”

Gumball scrunched his nose up in thought. “Yeah, usually, but this is crazy old magic, from before the Mushroom War. Maybe even centuries before the war, no one knows.” Something stirred in the back of his mind, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

“So what do we need to do?”

Gumball signed, looking at Marshall carefully. “I need to know something first. I know that we’ve not always gotten along in the past, but these past few days seem to have gone really well. I really like you, and you sure seem to like me-“

“Of course I like you, Gummybutt!” Marshall put his hands on Gumball’s shoulders, a little nervous of where the conversation was heading.

“And I know that we haven’t even gone on a date or anything yet, and it’s not like we’re in a relationship yet, but things seem to be moving along really quickly, quicker than I had expected…”

Marshall felt a twinge in his chest. _Is Gumball breaking up with me?_ he thought _. Oh glob, I moved too fast. He’s using the ‘like’ word, he just wants to be friends._

“Marshall, are you paying attention? This is really important, it’s about us.”

_Oh glob, he is breaking up with me!_ Marshall felt his eyebrows droop, and he broke eye contact with the pink prince, instead staring at a remarkably uninteresting patch of ground. “Gumball, I know what you’re getting at. I don’t want to, but if you do, it’s OK. I understand. I’m sorry.”

“What?” Gumball grabbed Marshall's thin wrists, confused. “What are you talking about? Marshall Lee, you’re not making sense. Let’s just start from the beginning.”

“Why?” moaned Marshall, surprised that he wasn’t tearing up. “It’ll just end up the same. I wanted this to be different, I wanted it to work with you, but I just beefed it up again, just like every other time.”

Gumball tried to pull Marshall closer, but the vampire resisted. “Snowflake! What’s gotten into you? I just want to know if you love me.”

“Of course I love you, you jerk!” Marshall said, smacking Gumball in the chest angrily.

Gumball sighed as he realized what Marshall thought was happening. He laid a hand on Marshall’s neck, guiding the vampire’s red eyes to look into his own. “Snowflake, my snowflake, I’m not leaving you. I’d never do that to you, I promise. You just misunderstood where I was going with the conversation. So stop this,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere, at least not without you.”

Gumball sat down, trying to relieve some pressure from his leg. The vampire sat next to him, leaning over and laying his head in Gumball’s lap, his eyes closed. “Marshall Lee Abadeer, I love you too. I know things have been crazy these past few days, but to be honest I’ve liked you for quite some time now. But I needed to know if you loved me back, because the Doom Door can only be finished with a kiss from a ‘true lover’, and I needed to know if your kiss would work.”

Marshall nodded, suddenly feeling very exhausted. Gumball pulled off Marshall’s hat and worked his fingers into his wavy black hair, massaging his scalp. They sat for a moment in silence, listening to the wind howl around them. “Hey Gummy? Did you have a plan for if I had said no?”

“Of course, MoCro and Cake are in love, he could have been the one to kiss it. But my vague understanding of how the magic works is that the newer the love the better.”

“Heh, sure… I’ll bet you just wanted to know what I thought of you.” Marshall smiled, his eyes still closed.

“…Maybe. Can you blame me?”

“Cheese brain,” Marshall teased, before standing up. “Here’s the deal. For every piece of rock you make me kiss, you have to give me two kisses in return.” He reached out to help Gumball up.

“Sounds fair to me. Together, then?” They leaned down, side by side, and kissed the rock at the same time. A slight yellow tinge spread through the rock, indicating that it had worked.

Marshall wiped his lips. “Y’know, kissing a rock really isn’t that fun.”

“Well, I owe you two kisses now, so that should help get that stone taste out of your mouth.” Gumball planted a soft kiss on Marshall’s lips.

“You’re yummy, Gummy,” said Marshall, licking his lips.

“Oh, and I’m the cheese brain?” laughed Gumball, kissing him again. After repacking the stone and feeding MoCro some carrots, they flew off again.

* * *

Lord Monochromicorn landed halfway up a tall, sinister-looking mountain. “I guess this is it,” said Gumball, sliding down to the ground. He winced in pain as his bad leg hit rock. “Look around for something that could be the Draugur’s cave. It may be hidden, so try-“

“Gumball? I think this is it.” Gumball turned to see where Marshall was standing, and his blood ran cold. A small crack in the rock opened into darkness, and the ground around it was streaked with… was that blood? Gumball shivered, sensing the dark magic around this place.

“Marshall, can you help me with… Marshall!” Gumball called as the pale vampire, his body trembling, walked toward the opening, then disappeared inside.


	12. Chapter 12 - Too Late

Marshall walked forward into darkness, his body shaking with fear. In the back of his mind he knew that entering the cave was a bad decision, but the primal instinct of saving his father was in control now. It was much quieter in the cave than he had expected; the sound of the howling wind disappeared as soon as he had entered. Looking around, he tried to orient himself, recalling the layout of the cave from his nightmares. Unlike his dreams, the walls were jagged volcanic rock, not smooth and mirror-like, and the stalactites hanging from the ceiling looked remarkably less like fangs than he had remembered. Still, the basic shape of the cave was the same: a rotund area with a low ceiling that led to a long, tall passage that snaked away out of view. There was no red light anywhere, but Marshall still knew that the path ahead would lead to the chamber from his vision. He walked forward, cautiously, his footsteps reverberating in his ears. Although the Draugur was nowhere to be seen, he still felt as if he was being watched, as if the cave itself was alive and following him.

At the end of the winding passage was a large slab of rotten wood. It had been pushed up against one wall, but the marks along its edge showed it had been used as a door for a very long time. Beyond it lay a small chamber, no larger than Marshall’s kitchen, with an ancient wood table, two chairs, and what barely passed as a mattress. Stacks of candles sat in one corner, and in another was a pile of furs and bones, presumably from small rodents. Slumped against the pile of furs was…

Marshall ran forward, his eyes stinging from tears. It was his father, and he was undoubtedly dead. The vampire took the shrunken form in his arms, the body stiff and cold. He had been dead for at least a day, if not more, Marshall reasoned. He cradled the body close to his chest, rocking back and forth slightly, the tears flowing freely now.

“I’m sorry, pops, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, so sorry, I wasn’t here for you. I should have been, and I wasn’t, and I’m sorry. Oh glob, I’m sorry!” he wailed, his voice echoing in the dark chamber. He jumped as he heard footsteps approaching, but he was too lost in grief to care.

“Marshall? Are you in here?” Gumball’s pink head popped into the chamber, a lantern in his hand. Marshall hadn’t realized how dark it was; his hypersensitive demon eyes had adjusted to the darkness upon entering the cave. “There you are, you scared me. Don’t go running off like that, it isn’t safe. I was worried-“

CRACK! Marshall planted his fist solidly against Gumball’s jaw, causing him to stumble and fall backward, his broken leg splaying out painfully. 

“Marshall, what the lumps? What was that for?” Marshall gently laid his father’s body on the floor, then stood, his eyes glowing red.

“You… You said we would get here in time. You said you knew when Beltane was, you said we could get here before… before…” He sank to the ground, hiding his face in his hands, his whole frame shaking as he sobbed. “But we didn’t… it’s too late, he’s dead… my dad’s dead. Pops, I’m sorry…”

Gumball crawled forward, ignoring the pain in his leg and jaw. He took Marshall in his arms, squeezing tight. “Marshall, Beltane doesn’t begin until midnight, that’s another two hours. I checked my math three times, I even had Peppermint Maid check it just to be sure. If your dad… if your vision said to come on Beltane, then he must have intended for you to get here after he died. He probably… I don’t know, maybe he didn’t want you to have to see him die, maybe he knew the Draugur would be here until after he passed, I don’t know. I’m so sorry, Marshall, but there’s nothing you could have done.”

“Maybe… maybe I could have been here, with him. No one should have to die alone, he didn’t even… he didn’t even know I was coming.”

“Of course he knew you were coming, he had to know where to send the visions and dreams. He died knowing that you were on your way to keep Ooo safe, knowing that you were coming to stop the Draugur.”

Marshall let out a sad noise, wrapping his arms around Gumball. He buried his face into Gumball’s shoulder, loosing control and sobbing hysterically into his jacket. Together they sat in the middle of the cave for a long time, Gumball gently stroking Marshall’s neck and back. After a while, Marshall calmed down, having cried himself out. He sat up, wiping his nose on his sleeve, sniffling in the cold damp air of the cave.

“Are you going to be OK?” Gumball asked softly.

“No, not for a while, but… why are _you_ crying?” asked Marshall, noticing the tears on Gumball’s face.

“I don’t like seeing you sad, snowflake. I love you, it hurts to see you so upset.”

Marshall sighed. “I’m sorry I hit you, Gummy.”

“I understand,” he said simply.

A moment passed, then a hint of a smile flickered across Marshall’s face. “I know it’s a little late, but… Prince Gumball, I’d like to introduce you to my father, Dr. Leland Sheola-Abadeer.”

Gumball looked at the body leaning against the far wall of the chamber, blinking the tears out of his eyes. Leland’s body was shrunken and atrophied, but didn’t appear malnourished. Ratty locks of white hair hung around his face, which had Marshall Lee’s sharp nose and chin, but less prominent cheekbones and a more sloped forehead. When he had been much younger, Leland had probably been a very handsome man. A smooth green stone embedded in silver hung from a chain around his neck; the stone seemed to give off a very faint green glow.

“Marshall, is the ‘Lee’ in your name…?”

“Yep, from Leland. Gummy, um, can we give him a proper burial? I mean, it’s not really gonna be proper, ‘cause we can’t have a funeral or service or anything, but… it would mean a lot to me.” A single tear rolled down Marshall’s cheek, glistening in the lantern light.

“Of course - actually, I’m not sure if there’s any dirt around here, it looked like its all rock.”

“Can… can he be cremated?” Marshall looked at his father’s body sadly, feeling helpless.

“Yes, we can certainly do that. The Draugur’s gone, probably won’t return until sunrise.” Gumball paused. The Draugur was likely searching for a new companion; any sentient beings nearby were in mortal danger, if not already dead. The snow golem that had helped them earlier could be dead by now, Gumball thought, another wave of sadness hitting him.

* * *

An hour later, a large pyre burned near the entrance to the cave. Marshall knelt between Gumball and Lord Monochromicorn, his eyes bloodshot and unfocused, his father’s amulet hanging around his neck.

“Would you like me to say something?” asked Gumball cautiously. He had never been to a funeral before, and wasn’t really sure of the proper protocol. Marshall nodded weakly. Gumball took a deep breath, steadying himself, then pulled a small tape recorder from his bag and clicked it on. “Although I never knew him personally, Dr. Leland Seol…”

“Sheola-Abadeer,” whispered Marshall, his throat dry.

“Dr. Leland Sheola-Abadeer… was one of the bravest men I have ever heard of. Through his selfless sacrifice, being a voluntary companion to the Draugur, he saved all of Ooo from unspeakable horror and bloodshed. His bravery and heroism will be written in history books, and passed on in legend for generations to come. His last act, alerting his son Marshall Lee Abadeer to the return of the Draugur, has allowed us to travel here, carrying with us the means to trap the Draugur for all eternity and securing the safety of Ooo and all its inhabitants. His memory lives on through his son, King and Prince Marshall Lee Abadeer, and his widow, Queen Hunter Abadeer. May his soul tally favorably before Glob, and may he rest in eternal joy in the 50th dead world beyond.”

Clicking the tape recorder off, Gumball placed an arm around Marshalls shoulders, his heart breaking for the poor vampire. He could remember all too well the pain of loosing one’s parents. 

“Thank you, Gummy,” croaked Marshall, his voice lifeless and weak. “Y’know, being undead and all, living for a thousand years, you’d think I’d be used to death by now. But nope.”

“I know, snowflake, I know.”

“No you don’t. I know what you mean, but you’re super young compared to me. You’re what, nineteen? You don’t know what it’s like, to have to watch everyone you care about die. And some day, you’ll grow old and die, and I’ll be all alone again. I mean, what’s the point? Why bother?” His face was slack and unreadable, but Gumball knew exactly what was going through his mind. The pink prince bit his lower lip, as if trying to make a tough decision.

“Kiss me.”

“What?” Marshall shot Gumball a confused glance, the non-sequitur throwing him off-guard.

“Kiss me, I’m trying to make a point.”

“Uh… OK.” Marshall leaned forward, pressing his lips into Gumball’s. The kiss was short and lifeless.

“Snowflake, that was a terrible kiss. Give me the best kiss you can.” Marshall tried again, this time putting effort into it. He could taste the salty tears on their lips, but the warmth of Gumball’s mouth made him a tiny bit happier. It wasn’t a perfect kiss, but it was the best he could give under the circumstances. Gumball brushed the vampire’s dark hair out of his eyes. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I’d live a hundred years just for a kiss like that. I’d suffer through pain and loss just to have a friend like you, even if it doesn’t last forever. It’s the whole ‘better to have loved and lost’ thing. Besides, what would Leland want for you? Would he want you to give up on life, or to make the most of what you have?”

“Gummy, you’re the biggest cheese brain ever. But thanks, that helps. A little.” He gave Gumball a gentle squeeze on his arm.

* * *

Gumball glanced at his watch. He estimated that they had about three hours left before the Draugur returned. Returning to the piece of rope he was tying, he called out to Marshall. “How’s it look on your end? Does it look even?”

They were in the process of suspending the Doom Door above the mouth of the cave. A complicated network of ropes ran down to a large boulder near the edge of the cliff. Cutting even one of the lines would cause the massive stone door to swing down, sealing the entrance to the cave.

“Yeah, it looks good, maybe just a little…” Marshall trailed off, his eyes unfocused.

“Marshall, I know you’re grieving, but we need to get this finished.”

“No, it’s not that,” said Marshall, walking over to where Gumball was standing. “I keep hearing something, like a voice.”

“Coming up the mountain? Right now!?!” Gumball spun around, frantically searching the cliffs beneath them. 

“No, no, like, in my ear. Like someone is whispering in my ear.”

“What are they saying?”

“I can’t tell, it’s all mumbled up.”

Gumball frowned. “Maybe it’s the amulet? I’ve heard artifacts that have telepathy powers can mess with your head, especially if you’ve never used one before.” Marshall took the green stone from around his neck, placing it safely in his backpack. 

“Huh. Well, I’ll let you know if that helps. So… we’re just going to hide behind the boulder and hope the Draugur goes into the cave?” Gumball nodded. “But what if it notices us? I mean, it’s not like we haven’t made a mess, what with the pyre and the stone and everything.”

Gumball swallowed, hoping it wouldn’t come to that. “If the Draugur notices us and won’t go into the cave, then… then I’ll go with it. I’ll become the next companion to the Draugur. You can seal the door, then take MoCro back to the Candy Kingdom.”

“WHAT!?!” Marshall yelled, making Gumball jump. “Are you crazy? You won’t be able to get out!”

“I know,” said Gumball simply. “But what other choice do we have? The Draugur needs to go into the cave; I’ll act as bait. When you get back to the Candy Kingdom, tell Peppermint Maid what happened, she has instructions for what to do if I don’t return.”

“Wait, you’ve had this plan the entire time? To sacrifice yourself to the Draugur? And you didn’t tell me!?!” He crossed his arms angrily.

“Well… yeah, I mean, if I had told you, you wouldn’t have let me.”

“Of course I wouldn’t have lumping let you! Let me go instead. You have people that need to be looked after, your citizens need you. My only citizen is Schwabelle, and I think she rules me more than I rule her. Gummy,” he said, as Gumball began to protest. “I could never live with myself if I knew you were stuck in there. Besides, you’re so young, you have your entire life ahead of you. Look at me, I’ve lived a long, somewhat full life. I’d die happy knowing that you’re safe.”

“Snowflake, please,” Gumball pleaded. “If it comes down to it, and I really hope it doesn’t, but if it does, please let me do this. I’m not as young as you think, I’m actually quite a bit-“

Gumball was cut off by a horrid screeching noise and a blast of icy air. The two of them turned in unison to see a shape descend from the sky, a slight red glow emanating from its body. As its feet touched the ground, it turned, and looked directly at Gumball and Marshall. The Draugur had returned.


	13. Chapter 13 - The Broken Promise

Gumball felt a tightness in his throat; nothing could have prepared him for the sight of the Draugur. Its body was bloated and misshapen, and chunks of flesh appeared to be falling off in places, leaving gaping holes dripping with a dark viscous substance. It was crudely covered in a gray-green rubbery-looking material, worn like a poncho, and its face was unlike anything Gumball had seen before. Fangs of various lengths and thicknesses jutted out from its mouth haphazardly, and its eyes… Where its eyes should have been were two black spinning vortices, like tiny sideways whirlpools. As it moved, its body made an awful crunching noise, as if its very bones were rusted together. Behind him, he heard MoCro take off into the sky, fleeing to safety.

"Marshall, run," said Gumball quietly. He felt Marshall take his hand.

“Not a chance.” 

“Go now.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you.” He squeezed Gumball’s hand hard. 

The Draugur lifted slightly off of the ground, hovering a few inches. It floated toward the two boys, trapping them against the edge of the cliff. It raised a bony finger, the tip of which was barely attached, and spoke in a hoarse, rattling voice.

“One shall come.”

“No,” said Gumball, hoping he sounded more confident than he was feeling. “Neither of us is joining you. We… We’ve found a new companion for you, she’s in the cave. Go, meet her.”

The Draugur tilted its head back with a sickening crunch, and made a noise that was likely a laugh, although neither Gumball or Marshall were certain. “I have been in the pale one’s mind. I know of your deceit. One shall come,” it repeated.

“Marshall,” Gumball whispered. “Take MoCro. Go back to the Candy Kingdom. Please,” he pleaded.

“He who retreats not in fright may take a stand to prove their might. But in my sight, by the fire’s light I see the one who survived my bite… Like father, like son,” the beast chanted, almost to itself, floating closer still.

“What do you want!?!” shouted Gumball, feeling sweat beading on his forehead. “I can give you money, I can give you food, we can negotiate.” The Draugur paused, dropping to the ground.

“I want…” it said slowly. “I want… you to fear me. I want you to join me. I want to keep you here until the world crumbles, I want to destroy you… ever so slowly. I want… to not be lonely,” it finished, its voice laced with bitterness.

“I don’t want anybody to be lonely, that includes you. I could make you a-“ The Draugur shot forward, stopping inches from Gumball’s face.

“FEAR ME” it shouted, spraying thick spittle all over Gumball, its whirlpool eyes massive and dark.

Gumball felt Marshall Lee pull let go of his hand. “Take me. I volunteer,” he said, his head hanging low, palms open.

“Like father, like son,” said the Draugur, turning to face Marshall.

“Snowflake, no! Take me instead,” he pleaded, trying to get the Draugur’s attention. “Please…” Tears began to cloud his vision. “Please take me instead. Don’t take him.”

“Gummy, my Gummy, I’m so sorry, but this is for your own good. I love you, never forget that, I love you so very, very much.” Gumball gasped as he felt Marshall grab his arm and sink his fangs into his soft candy flesh near his wrist, ripping right through his jacket. The pain was incredible, it felt like every nerve in his arm was on fire, and it spread quickly to the rest of his body. In the back of his mind he guessed that Marshall’s fangs had injected him with a sedative, presumably intended to keep victims from waking when he was feeding. The edges of his vision began to go dark, but he fought it off, trying to recall his anti-sleeping gas training. _Form a fist with your mind_ , he told himself. _Punch through the fogginess_. It seemed to be working, at least temporarily.

Gumball heard Marshall talking to the Draugur, although his voice sounded echoey and distant. “I am yours. Now please, leave him alone, take me and let him go.” It sounded as though Marshall was crying. Gumball struggled to his knees, not having remembered falling, and stumbled toward the opening of the cave. Marshall was near the entrance, leading the Draugur into the darkness.

“No, Marsh… Don’t… Please…” Gumball cried, his mouth feeling sluggish. He saw Marshall turn, standing just inside the mouth of the cave, and raise his hand in farewell.

“Goodbye, my sweet prince. Go home, and don’t look back.” Marshall threw something past Gumball’s head, something dark and small. Gumball tried to follow it, but his eyes were loosing their focus. It must have hit one of the release lines, because the sound of snapping rope echoed across the cliff face, ringing off of the rock. Gumball staggered to his feet, his broken leg twisting and grating, but he didn’t care; all that mattered was getting to Marshall before the stone door closed off the opening. The world seemed to slow down around him, the door falling in slow motion as he stumbled toward it. He could tell he was too late; the entrance would be sealed before he could get there.

“Marshall Lee!” he shouted, leaping for the closing gap between the ground and the stone door with the last of his strength. He landed heavily on the ground a foot short as the stone slammed down, spraying dust and bits of rock in his face. He grabbed the door, hoisting himself off of the ground, and began pulling, trying to get it open. His fingers felt for the crack between the door and the mountain face, but there wasn’t one; the door had fused with the rock, becoming part of the mountain. He fell to his knees, overcome with emotional and physical pain. He grasped his head, the world spinning around him, and fell backwards into unconsciousness.

* * *

Something warm and wet brushed across Gumball’s face. Marshall was giving him kisses. He smiled, eyes still closed.

“Snowflake…”

Something wasn’t right, though. Whatever was on his face was much bigger than Marshall’s lips, and too rough. He opened his eyes slowly, his head pounding with pain. Lord Monochromicorn was standing above him, licking his face.

“MoCro, where’s… Marshall!” He tried to sit up, but his body felt incredibly heavy and his left arm was numb and tingly.

-GONE- stamped MoCro, a sad look on his face.

“What do you mean, gone? He can’t have…” Memories of the encounter with the Draugur flooded back into his mind, making him reel. “… No. No, he can’t be gone. No. No no no no no…” Gumball struggled to his feet, his broken leg twisted and swollen, and quickly hobbled toward the door, now just a discolored rectangle on the side of the mountain. He placed a hand on the rock, not knowing what to do. “No, no no…” he sobbed. “Marshall? Can you hear me?” The tiny voice of logic in the back of his mind reminded him of how the sound of the wind had disappeared as soon as he had entered the cave earlier; there was no way Marshall could hear him, not with six inches of solid rock between them now.

Sinking down to the ground, Gumball placed his forehead against the rock. There had to be something, some way of getting Marshall out. He should have a plan, he always had a plan. Somehow, though, he had never considered this a possibility; he had always planned on being the one trapped with the Draugur should they arrive too late. Marshall couldn’t be the one to stay forever in the cave, he had friends, he had his mother, he was loved throughout Ooo for his amazing music. _And what do I have?_ thought Gumball. _A handful of friends, no living relatives, a kingdom that is being looked after by someone else, and only my delegates and advisors…_ A thought occurred to him.

“MoCro, how long was I out?”

-2 HRS- stamped the black horse, looking confused. Gumball stood and hopped over to his backpack. He pulled out a sheet of paper with Choose Goose’s riddle written on it. The last line he read and reread three times, trying to figure it out.

_But know, my friend, when it’s time to hide, your lover’s life will be the other side. Worry not, you will reunite, should the promise break by morning’s light._

The promise break… _What promise?_ Gumball wondered. He’d already broken every promise he had made to the poor guy. He hadn’t kept him safe, he hadn’t been there for him when he needed it most, he wouldn’t be going on a date with him, he wouldn’t even get a chance to tell him a proper story. _Besides_ , he thought, _what magic is strong enough to overcome the power of the Doom Door?_

The first rays of light were beginning to peak out over the horizon. Morning was only minutes away, then presumably it would be too late. _Think, Bubba_. He went over every promise he had made in the past few days… _Oh. Would that work?_

“MoCro, I need to tell you something. It’s very important.” The horse’s ears perked up. “The Draugur was what turned Marshall into a vampire almost a thousand years ago.”

-DUH- stamped Lord Monochromicorn, having figured this out quite a while ago. But Gumball wasn’t paying attention, his eyes were fixed on the horizon, waiting for a sign. It began to snow as he saw the very tip of the sun rise over the distant mountains; the sun would disappear behind clouds soon.

Suddenly, the wind stopped blowing and everything turned blue. The ground beneath Gumball shook, as if something massive was approaching. He breathed a sigh of relief. It had worked.

* * *

Marshall’s eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness as he wiped the tears from his eyes. Gumball was safe, that was what mattered, he reminded himself. The Draugur floated past him, beckoning him to follow. Marshall walked in silence toward the chamber at the far end of the cave.

He entered, looking around. This room, which had been a place of mourning and sadness only hours before, was now his eternal prison. The Draugur brought its hands together as if clapping, and a torch that Marshall hadn’t noticed before burst into strange red fire.

“You shall eat,” the Draugur said, holding out a lump of candle wax. It appeared red in the light of the torch, but Marshall knew it was actually beige, like any other normal candle.

“I can only eat red, thanks to you,” spat Marshall, realizing that there was nothing in the cave he could eat. The Draugur tilted its head back and laughed.

“You shall eat,” it repeated. “The chromicon torch will provide. Color can be replenished. You shall eat.” Marshall tentatively bit into the wax. Its color was indeed edible. Although bland and weak, it would be enough to survive on. After draining the red from it, he held it up to the torch light, and it became red again.

“Huh. And I suppose I just stay here, keep you company?” The Draugur nodded. “And what if I ignore you? What if I don’t eat and die? What if-“

“The gifts that were given can be revoked in punishment. You will obey.” The Draugur lifted a finger and pointed at Marshall’s chest, and a sharp, icy pain knocked him backward. He clutched his chest, feeling as if he had been stabbed. “The pain will stop and the gift will return if you behave,” said the Draugur, lowering its finger. The pain went away immediately, although his body was still shaking from the experience.

“Right… so, what are we gonna do for the next millennia?”

“No more questions. You shall-“ The Draugur stopped speaking suddenly, staring at Marshall.

“… I shall what? Come on, I shall what!?!” shouted Marshall. With a jolt he realized that the light from the torch had turned blue. He walked over to where it was mounted on the wall, taking it from its perch. The flames were indeed light blue, although they were frozen in place. “Is this…?” He turned to address the Draugur, but noticed it was still staring at the wall where Marshall had been standing before. He walked over and waved a hand in front of its face, but to no effect. It was frozen in place.

A sound coming from within the rock caught his attention. Cautiously, he approached the far wall of the cave, placing an ear to the stone. Something very large and powerful was moving, either outside of the cave or… within the very rock itself? Was that possible? Were there other caves in the mountain?

Suddenly, a massive hand reached out from the rock, somehow passing through the solid stone. Marshall’s grip on the torch tightened instinctively as he backed up, but the hand reached further into the cave, wrapping itself around his torso.

“What the!?! No, stop!” He pounded the hand with the torch as it pulled him toward the rock it had emerged from, but it was too late. He slammed painfully into the rock, knocking the air from his lungs. The hand pulled harder and harder, and he found that, very slowly, he was passing through the rock. It was unbelievably painful; he could feel the rock inside his chest, inside his head, in his lungs and stomach, trying to lock him in place as he fused his way through the solid stone. He tried to breathe, but there was no air to inhale. His eyes were suddenly blasted with light as he gave up, succumbing to unconsciousness. 


	14. Chapter 14 - Away and Back

Gumball wiggled his fingers impatiently. Beside him knelt a massive creature, with a shiny pink body and a spherical glass head. The Bubblegum Guardian, one of the Keepers of the Royal Promise, had taken its own sweet time arriving, but it was now working hard at extracting Marshall.

“Strong… magic… must… save… plaintiff…” it grunted with a robotic, nasally voice. Gumball hoped that the magic guardians that protected the Candy Kingdom would be strong enough to pull Marshall free from the cave, but his confidence was wavering. Suddenly, the Guardian fell backwards, shattering its glass head on a large boulder.

“Marshall!” Gumball crawled over to where the dark-haired figure was laying on the ground, completely still. What looked like an ornate torch lay near him; he must have dropped it on the way out. “Marshall?” Gumball rolled him onto his back, his arms flopping lifelessly. “Marshall, say something! Something, please?” Snow began to drift down from the sky as the sun slipped behind the clouds. Gumball placed his ungloved hand on the boy’s forehead, but it was ice cold. He laid his head on his chest, listening for a breath, anything, but the pale body in his arms was silent, lifeless. Marshall Lee was dead.

“No!” wailed Gumball, tears streaming from his face. He cradled his friend in his arms, sobbing hysterically. He had been so close to saving Marshall, he had nearly succeeded, but had fallen short. He hadn’t been able to save his friend. “Marshall… Marshall Lee Abadeer, I’m so sorry… I’ve failed you, and I’m sorry. I’ve broken every promise, and I’m sorry.” He rocked back and forth, despondent. “At least…” he sniffled. “At least I can keep one promise. I’ll tell you a story.” He cleared his throat. “Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, pale, little boy. He was brave and kind, and loved his father very much. One day, a terrible beast appeared, and took his father away, cursing the boy to live forever as a vampire. The boy aged, and grew into a handsome young man, who was the best friend and companion to most everyone he met. Some were scared of him because he was a vampire, but most thought he was great. Not long ago, he met a little pink prince made of candy…” Gumball sobbed, overcome by grief. “A pink prince who secretly liked the vampire very very much. They fought often, but were still good friends. One day, the pink prince asked the boy on a date. He made all kinds of promises, promises to keep him safe and to look after him, but in the end…” He couldn’t finish the story, unable to speak at all. After a moment he caught his breath. “In the end he broke his promises, and couldn’t keep the vampire safe.” Gumball finished, wiping the tears from his eyes. 

A single fat snowflake floated down, landing on Marshall’s nose. Gumball chocked back a sob, dabbing his glove across Marshall’s face to dry it.

He stroked Marshall’s cheeks, his hair, his neck, wishing there was some way of bringing him back. His thumb brushed across the smooth base of Marshall’s neck, the spot he had claimed as his own just a few days ago…

Something was different, though. He brushed his thumb over that spot three or four times, trying to figure out what had changed. It wasn’t until he looked closely that he realized it. Marshall’s two bite marks, permanent scabs that served as a reminder of the Draugur’s influence, had disappeared, leaving two faint red smudges of blood. Gumball checked under Marshall’s lips, noticing that his fangs were gone as well. He sighed. At long last, his half-demon friend was finally no longer a vampire.

Those words echoed in his head. No longer a vampire… no longer… vampire…

The realization hit Gumball like a punch in the face. Somehow, either intentionally on the part of the Draugur, or due to pulling him out of the strong magic sealing the cave, he had lost his vampire powers completely. But that meant that his heart, which hadn’t had a pulse in centuries, needed to be restarted.

He clenched his eyes shut, trying to recall his CPR training. He needed to get Marshall’s blood flowing to bring oxygen to his brain, and needed to provide some sort of shock to his system to restart his heart. He pulled off his jacket for better mobility, and, placing his hands across Marshall’s chest, began pumping up and down, keeping an eye on the boy’s face. After a number of pumps, color began to return to his cheeks and lips, and his ears twitched slightly.

“And now for the shock…” Gumball said to himself, before leaning down and kissing Marshall passionately, pouring everything he had, everything he felt, into the kiss. A warm feeling stirred in his chest, mounting, as he wrapped his arms around Marshall’s neck, supporting his head. The warmth moved from his chest into his throat, then down through his tongue, and left his body into Marshall, who’s skin warmed up quickly. Gumball felt a weak breath against his cheek as one of Marshall’s arms lifted slowly and draped itself across Gumball’s back. His heart leapt for joy as he felt Marshall’s tongue push against his, the half-demon kissing him back gently.

Gumball pulled back, blinking the tears from his eyes. Marshall breathed in heavily, color spreading across his skin. “H-hey, Gummy,” Marshall mumbled, his eyes fluttering open. “I’m sorry, I’m really sorry it didn’t work.”

“No, what? No, everything worked, everything is fine.” Gumball smiled weakly, his tears dripping down onto Marshall’s neck.

“But… but you’re here. And I’m… I must be dead… so you must be dead too.” Marshall’s lower lip trembled.

“No, snowflake, no,” Gumball said, brushing the dark locks from Marshall’s face. “Neither of us is dead, we’re both safe. I broke the promise, the royal promise I made to not tell anyone your story, and the Bubblegum Guardian came and pulled you out. You… you’re not a vampire any more.” Gumball grabbed his hand and kissed his fingers. “Now, let’s get you warm and patched up. Your heart hasn’t had a beat in over eight hundred years, its probably quite weak.”

“Yeah…” whispered Marshall weakly, his eyelids drooping. “Yeah, I’d like that very much.” His head lolled back as he passed out, but Gumball could tell from the smile on his face that he was going to make it.

A whinny behind him caught Gumball’s attention. Turning, he saw Lord Monochromicorn nudging their camping bags with his nose, stamping out -KEY- on the rocky ground.

“Oh, yeah!” Gumball gently laid Marshall on the ground before trying to stand. His broken leg wobbled beneath him, but he was able to make it over to their gear without falling over. Pulling the envelope from the Door Lords out of his bag, he grabbed the key and threw it across the ground, toward where Marshall and the broken Bubblegum Guardian lay. It bounced twice, then unfolded into a wide pink door. The door flung open, and through it Gumball could see the Marshmallowy Mweadows, and beyond that the gates of the Candy Kingdom. Laying Marshall on Monochromicorn’s back, Gumball grabbed their bags and the strange torch, then left through the door. It folded up behind them, and just like that they were gone.

* * *

Marshall Lee awoke to the sound of a pounding drum beat, ringing in his ears and bringing on a massive headache. He felt hot and wet, and his limbs felt incredibly heavy. In fact, his entire body felt heavy.

“Hey, sleepyhead.”

Marshall slowly opened his eyes. He was in a brightly lit room, with white chalky ceiling panels. He spent a moment staring at the ceiling panels, listening to the rhythmic drum beat, before tilting his head up to look at whoever was speaking. A large smile crept onto his face.

“Hey, Gummy. Wha- Where am I? What happened? What’s that noise?” he said, his head falling back onto a soft pillow.

Gumball looked around, concerned. There was no noise that he could hear, apart from some nurse talking in the hallway. “Uh, I don’t hear anything. We’re in the hospital, you’ve been out for three days. You’re alive.”

“Well duh, I’m alive. I’m here, aren’t I?”

A pained look crossed Gumball’s face. “Well, yeah, but I mean you’re actually _alive_. You’re no longer undead, not a vampire any more.” Gumball took Marshall’s hand. “The nurses didn’t think you were going to make it, but I knew you’d pull through. We had to augment your heart, since it was so weak. Check it out.” Gumball stood and propped his leg, now in a proper cast, up on the bed. “I had a compound fracture, and they took some of my candy flesh when they were repairing my leg to bulk up your heart.”

“So I have a candy heart now?”

“Well, kinda… As your heart strengthens, the sucrose and dextrose will be absorbed into your hemo-goblin, as well as the glycerin and erythrosine, but the chicle is non-soluble, and will stay.”

Marshall blinked slowly. “What?”

Gumball laughed. “Most of it will go away, but some will always be in your system.

Marshall grinned. “So you’ll be in my heart… literally.”

Gumball poked Marshall gently in the side. “Cheesebrain,” he muttered.

“But really, what is that sound?”

“What sound?” Gumball’s eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“That drumming sound, can’t you hear it?”

“Oh, silly. That’s your heart beat!” Gumball placed his ear against Marshall’s chest, listening to the new rhythm.

“What’s it saying?”

“What?”

“What’s my heartbeat saying?”

“Uh… ba-dum ba-dum?”

“Heh, I think that means ‘thank you’,” Marshall grinned. “Also, why is it so warm in here?” Gumball frowned again.

“It’s actually kinda chilly.” He placed his hand against Marshall’s forehead, then checked the small thermometer attached to Marshall’s wrist. “Yeah, you’re fine, it says 98.8.”

“Fahrenheit!?!”

“No, gallons. Yes, silly!”

“But that’s like crazy summer hot!” Marshall pouted. “Is that normal living person temperature?” Gumball nodded. “Beef, this ‘being alive’ thing is going to take some getting used to.” He ran his forked tongue across his teeth, a sad expression crossing his face as he realized his fangs were gone. “Gummy! I won’t be able to eat red any more. Oh, math! I can’t fly! How am I going to get to my house? You can’t get into the cave with out flying!”

Gumball scrunched his nose as he thought. “I suppose you can move in with me… that might be too much too soon, though.”

“Yeah, that might get complicated, if we-“ he gestured at himself and Gumball, “-don’t work out. What’s the rent like for gingerbread houses?”

“Snowflake, don’t say that.” Gumball pouted. “I don’t want to think about us not working out. Let’s take it a step at a time, OK?”

Marshall nodded. “Of course. So… gingerbread?”

Gumball laughed. “The rent’s outrageous. Rootbeer Guy is taking some time off to travel with his wife, and I think he’s looking for a house sitter. I could hook you up?”

Marshall grinned deviously. “That’d be great. And I can think of another type of hooking up I’d like to do, once I’m all rested up.”

“Cheesebrain.”

* * *

“Hey, Schwabby.” Marshall bent down to scratch his zombie cat behind the ears. She gave a loud purr of approval, then leapt into his arms. “Whoa, careful! I’m not quite as stable as I used to be.”

Gumball followed Marshall through the door of his house, hobbling on crutches. “I still don’t know why you wanted me to come, it’s not like I’m going to be any help packing.”

“Well… I might have a surprise for you. If you’re good.” Marshall held Schwabelle up to Gumball’s face, the pale cat licking Gumball’s nose. “How much longer do you have to wear the cast?”

“Only until Friday. That’s the great thing about having candy cane bones, they can be fixed quite easily with some heat and some extra biomass.”

Marshall shot Gumball a suspicious glance. “Where’d you get the extra biomass… I assume that means, like, candy flesh, right?”

Gumball nodded, clearing his throat nervously. “I… uh… Oh, hey! After I get my cast off, can we finally have our date?”

Marshall walked over, kissing Gumball on his forehead. “Of course.” He turned to climb the ladder up to his room. “Has this always been so tall?” he muttered, still not used to having to walk and climb everywhere. Gumball sat on the uncomfortable couch as the demon boy disappeared into his bedroom, packing. Stroking Schwabelle absentmindedly, he called up to Marshall.

“Hey, so… you not being a vampire any more, does that mean that you’ll age like a normal person?”

“Not quite,” Marshall called down, his voice carrying easily through the thin floor. “Demons age really slowly, they can theoretically live for thousands and thousands of years. Of course, humans don’t, and I’m half human. Before the Draugur bit me, I aged… let me think about his… I guess I was aging about one year every twenty years. I mean, every twenty normal years my body aged about a year. My body’s, what, twenty, twenty-two years old? Wait, hold on…” Gumball grinned, picturing Marshall’s face as he tried to do math. “Ninety two… no, that’s not right… ten… nineteen! I’m nineteen years old… ish.” Gumball lifted Schwabelle into the air, smiling maniacally. He whispered something into her ear, having to tell someone. She meowed, completely uninterested in Gumball’s confession.

“Aw, come on, you have to admit that’s pretty great,” he said, staring into her eyes. They were completely black, and extremely reflective. Gumball could see individual flecks in his irises reflected in Schwabelle’s eyes. She was mesmerizing…

“Yeah, you shouldn’t stare at her like that too long, she’ll hypnotize you.” Gumball jumped, realizing that Marshall had come back down the stairs and was sitting next to him, red guitar in hand. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Gumball grinned. “Does that mean I’ve been good?”

“Nope. But you get the surprise anyway.” Gumball pouted teasingly. “So, your birthday party… wow, that must have been just last week! Feels like its been a month.” Gumball nodded. A lot had happened in the past eight days, his feelings for Marshall completely different now. “I had written some songs for your birthday, but… yeah, I never got to play them. So I thought I’d give you a taste of…” he smirked. “What you missed out on.”

Gumball smiled, adjusting himself on the couch to better face Marshall, Schwabelle nestled contently in his lap.

The half-demon strummed his guitar, closing his eyes. “This one goes out to Prince Bubba, the sweetest prince in all of Ooo… pause for dramatic effect…” He strummed the guitar again, and began picking out a tune. It was soulful and sweet, classic Marshall Lee style.

 

> _Chewy boy, chewy boy, the pinkest prince in Ooo_
> 
> _Celebrating your birthday, so here’s a song for you._
> 
> _You’re so uptight, you’re tart and bright, and kind as kind can be_
> 
> _You mean so much, to all your friends, your subjects, and even… yes, me!_
> 
>  
> 
> _Chewy boy, chewy boy, the smartest prince in Ooo_
> 
> _You bake and think, and can speak in greek, and help us when we’re feeling blue._
> 
> _Today’s a day, a special day, to celebrate with friends…_
> 
> _So here we are, from near and far, for a party that never ends!_
> 
>  
> 
> _With Cake the cat, and Fionna the Human, and LSP and the Ice Queen_
> 
> _Cinnamon Bun, and the Lemon Grabs, and Tree Trunks, we all sing_
> 
> _In celebration of the man before us, who someday will be king_
> 
> _So let’s raise a toast, and make the best, of this magic night in spring!_
> 
>  
> 
> _Chewy boy, chewy boy, the nicest prince in Ooo_
> 
> _You love so many, and those you hate even think you’re wonderful too!_
> 
> _Chewy boy, chewy boy, the best-est prince in Ooo_
> 
> _Chewy boy, chewy boy, this is the night for you._
> 
>  

He strummed the guitar one last time, closing his eyes as the song ended. “Sorry, I think I got a little flat there in the middle, but… yeah.” He looked over at Gumball, who had tears in his eyes. “What? Was it too short? Too repetitive? It was too repetitive, wasn’t it? I thought about adding in another bridge, but I couldn’t think of any more rhymes for-“ He was interrupted as Gumball jumped onto him, sending Schwabelle flying.

“That was the best song ever. I love you, my snowflake.” With that, he planted a massive kiss on the ex-vampire’s lips, never wanting to let go. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No more cliffhangers, too many people hated that! Sorry!
> 
> The song at the end of this chapter is to the tune of "In the land of Ooo (is a candy kingdom)", which you can listen to here: http://youtu.be/jA9qf7LpWng


	15. Chapter 15 - Cheese Brain

After fifteen minutes of making out, Marshall Lee’s stomach began to growl.

“Hey, Gummy?” he asked, leaning back into the couch. Gumball was laying on top of him, his broken leg resting comfortably on the arm rest.

“Let me guess… you’re hungry?” Marshall wrapped his arm around Gumball’s back, nodding. “Right, let’s see what you’ve got…” Gumball awkwardly sat up, walking to the kitchen stiffly. Marshall smiled, guessing why Gumball was walking weirdly. “Dude, you’ve got absolutely nothing in here!”

“What’re you talking about? I’ve got plenty of food.”

“Marshall, these are all vampire foods. Strawberries, apples, tomatoes… Is this paint? No, wait, it’s ketchup… nothing to make a meal out of… Have you even had a proper meal since you’ve lost your powers?”

“No,” sighed Marshall. “They kept making me eat applesauce and oatmeal at the hospital. Is applesauce supposed to have the consistency of barf?”

Gumball stopped digging through Marshall’s pantry. “Gross! But… yeah, I guess it is kinda like that. Uh… You wanna have dinner back at my place?” He hobbled back to the couch. “I can make you proper food, something that’s actually tasty.”

“Not really, I’d much rather stay here and keep on-“ His stomach growled loudly, and a guilty look crossed his face. “Well, are you sure you wouldn’t mind?”

“Are you kidding!?! I love cooking! It’s, like, my favorite hobby!” He grabbed Marshall by the wrist and tugged him toward the door. “Don’t forget your stuff.”

Marshall muttered something about finding a better hobby as he grabbed his suitcase, lifted Schwabelle onto his shoulder, and followed Gumball out toward where Lord Monochromicorn was resting.

* * *

“Where the beef have you been!?!” Fionna stormed at Gumball as he entered the foyer of his palace. “I took care of your kingdom as a  _favor_ , not as a babysitter! Did you really get back four days ago, and just leave me here to tend your throne?”

“Fionna, I was-oh, hey Cake-I was at the hospital!”

“Gums, I’ve broken bones before, you weren’t there for four days for a broken leg!”

“Fionna, I was there with Marshall Lee!” Cake squinted at Gumball, as if trying to read him.

“Oh…” Fionna grinned sheepishly. “Well, is he OK?” Gumball rubbed his arm awkwardly.

“Yeah, about that. I kinda sorta…” he trailed off.

“Say what now?”

“I kinda removed his vampire powers. Well, not me personally. At least, I don’t think so. Not directly, anyways. I suppose it could have been…”

“Cut the fluff, man. What happened?”

Gumball took a deep breath, then sat down on his throne. “You’re gonna wanna pull up a chair for this, it’s a bit of a yarn…” He then proceeded to tell Fionna and Cake all about his adventure in the Unknown Lands to the north, their encounter with the Draugur, and Marshall’s loss of his vampire powers, although he left out the parts about him and Marshall Lee falling in love.

“… And then I used a Door Lord key to get back here, and took Marshall to the hospital. He just got released earlier today, and he’ll be staying here in town for a while.”

“Shoosh, that sounds like quite an adventure! Where’s Mar at now?”

“He’s just dropping his stuff off at the house where he’ll be staying, he should be back soon. You’re welcome to stick around and say ‘hi’ if you’d like.”

“Yeah, I’d like that-“ Cake cut her off, pulling her toward the door.

“Sorry, Gums, I wanna get back before dinner time.” She winked at him knowingly. Gumball blushed, but mouthed ‘thank you’ to her as she led her blonde companion from the foyer.

Gumball sighed as the front door closed. He knew he would need to tell Fionna about him and Marshall, but he didn’t know how to break it to her. Would she be heart broken? After all, she had flirted with Gumball quite a bit in the past. Then again, she was dating Flame Prince now, so maybe…

His thoughts were interrupted by Marshall Lee, sweaty and out of breath, entering the chamber. “I hate this… I keep getting wet! Why am I wet? And…” he sniffed. “And I stink! What the glob?”

“Marshall, you’re just sweating. It’s perfectly normal. Plus…” He wrapped his arms around Marshall’s waist, burying his face into Marshall’s pale neck. “I kinda like this smell. Its sexy.” He winked at Marshall, who stuck his tongue out. “Come on, you can shower in my room before dinner, I’ve got some cooking to do.”

“Oh, what are we having!?!” Marshall wiggled his fingers in excitement.

“It’s a surprise. Go shower, then meet me in the basement in forty minutes.”

“The basement?”

“Yeah, you didn’t think we’d be eating on the patio again, did you? Personally, I’ve had my share of the outdoors for a while. Anyways, I thought you’d like this place better.” Marshall frowned, trying to think of some reason why the castle’s basement would be a fun dining environment as Gumball shooed him from the room.

* * *

Marshall Lee washed his hair slowly, savoring the feeling of clean, hot water on his body. He hadn’t bathed properly in over a week, and Gumball had a magnificent bathroom. The walls were marble cake, accented with gold-leafed frosting along the ceiling, and the combination shower/tub was bigger than Marshall’s entire kitchen. He paused, thinking about his old house in the cave. He supposed he’d never be able to properly live there again, given that it was essentially inaccessible by foot, but he had so many memories in that house, hundreds of years worth.

Stepping out of the shower and drying himself, Marshall paused. He had left the door to the bathroom open, so the steam wouldn’t melt the sugar glass mirrors, and he thought he heard someone whispering from just past the door. After wrapping himself with the towel, he poked his head out of the bathroom door, scanning Gumball’s bedroom. It was empty, and apart from Gumball’s bag of camping gear sitting by the window, it looked essentially the same as it had before they had left over a week ago. Something green glinting by the window caught Marshall’s eye, and he walked toward it, instinctively skirting around the evening sun streaming in through the stained sugar glass. His father’s amulet, the Lapis Luce Amulet, was sitting on top of the thick canvas bag, the green gem sparkling in the light. The sound of whispering seemed to come from the amulet itself, and it seemed… Marshall held it up to his ear. Yes, it definitely seemed to be calling his name.

“Hey snowflake?” Marshall jumped as Gumball entered the room, almost dropping the amulet from surprise. “Oh, you’re not dressed yet. I’ll come back.”

“No, it’s alright, I was just… There’s something weird about this amulet.” 

“Well, it is a strong magical thing, isn’t it? Didn’t you say that it has telepathic powers? I’ve heard of telepathic artifacts being implanted with a consciousness, or even memories, usually used by dark wizards as a sort of prison for their enemies. What’s… what’s weird about it?”

Marshall held it up for Gumball to see. “Can you hear anything?” Gumball walked forward cautiously, and took the amulet from him. Holding it up to his ear, he nodded.

“It keeps saying your name. ‘Marshall Lee Abadeer’. It sounds like a guy’s voice…” Gumball slapped his forehead as everything clicked into place. “The light stone! Of course, how could I have been so slow!?! Come, Marshall, if I’m right you need to be here for this…” He grabbed Marshall’s arm and pulled him from the room, only stopping briefly to allow him to get dressed.

Down in Gumball’s lab, a large room directly beneath the kitchens, he placed the amulet on a stand positioned in the center of the room. Next to it, on a springy clamp thing, he placed the ornate torch that Marshall had brought with him from the Draugur’s cave, and between them he set a massive glass lens.

“Remember when you asked about the Doom Door, about it being in Latin? I somehow never made the connection, but this stone, the Lapis Luce Amulet… Lapis Luce is Latin for ‘light stone’. The torch, what did you say the Draugur called it?”

“The Chromicon Torch?”

“Yeah. Remember the prophecy? ‘Forget not, the light stone and torch’? This is the light stone, and this is the torch!”

“Cool… still not sure where this is going.” Marshall frowned as Gumball sat him down on a stool.

“This could be… I don’t know, I have no idea what’s going to happen. But if I’m right…” He struck a match and lit the torch, everything in the room turning vibrant red. In the dusty air of the lab, Marshall saw the light streaming through the lens, coming to a point, then passing through the green gem, and projecting… His heart jumped, a sensation he hadn’t gotten used to yet. An image of his father, albeit looking much younger than before, was being projected on the far side of the lab, as if by a slide projector. And… it was moving! And talking!

“Marshall Lee Abadeer! Can you hear me?” it said.

“Yes, yes pops, I can hear you!” Tears welled up in Marshall’s eyes.

“You can? Marvelous, it worked! Can you see me?” The image of Marshall’s dad looked around, as if trying to find Marshall.

“Yeah, I can see you pops, you’re being projected on a wall.”

“I see. Well, metaphorically. Can you stand between my image and the Luce stone? I want to see you.” Marshall stood, looking at Gumball as if for permission. Gumball nodded, a massive smile on his face. Marshall walked forward, standing in front of the green stone. Somehow the light seemed to pass through him, because he didn’t obscure the image of his father on the far wall. “My, how you’ve grown. You look so much like your mother. How old are you now?”

Marshall choked back a sob. “I’m one thousand and six years old.” His father did a double take.

“My goodness, you’ve aged well. If I had looked as good at forty as you do now, I’d have been able to marry your mother much sooner! Is she…?” He paused, a frown flashing across his face.

“Yeah, she’s still around. Still Queen of the Nightosphere. Still a stick in the mud.” Gumball heard a little bit of resentment in his voice, knowing that their relationship had been rocky in the past.

“Well, if she gives you any trouble, I’ve got some dirt on her that I’m sure you could use.” He winked at Marshall, a twinkle in his eye. “Is Simone still around? I never got to properly thank her for taking such good care of you.” Marshall nodded again. “Marvelous, is she still mad as a loon?” Marshall nodded, smiling a little. “Well, there’s no hurry in thanking her. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.” He chuckled as Gumball walked forward cautiously.

“Doctor Sheola-Abadeer… My name is Prince Bubba Gumball, of the Candy Kingdom of Ooo…”

“Oh, please call me Lee. Everyone does… or did.” He frowned. “Marshy, did you say you were a thousand…”

“And six.” He nodded. “You’ve been gone for quite a while, pops.”

Lee looked a little put out. “So it seems. I guess I lasted longer than I anticipated. You got my message, apparently?”

Marshall nodded. “You did it. The Draugur’s gone, locked behind a Doom Door.” Lee nodded knowingly, then turned to address Gumball. “So, your highness, would you mind stepping in front of the stone? I’m afraid my vision isn’t what it used to be.” He chuckled at his own joke. “You have questions, I assume?”

“Yes, Lee. You knew to send Marshall a riddle, I assume because the Draugur could hear everything you sent?” 

He nodded. “I’m afraid it may have… er, ‘hijacked’ the telepathic transmission, once or twice. Probably gave Marshy here some nasty nightmares.”

Gumball smiled. “Uh, how did you know when-“

“When Beltane was? I watched the stars, kept a calendar of sorts. I now wish I had kept track of the years as well, but it didn’t seem that important then. But yes, I calculated the equinox, made a few approximations, and found the nearest holiday.”

“The nearest…?” He nodded.

“My doctorate is in ancient religions and mythology. Come to think of it, that’s how we met Ms. Petrikov, she was studying ancient mythology as well. Norse, if I remember correctly.” Marshall nodded. “I had hoped knowledge of Wicca had survived through the Great War, and someone would be able to decipher my riddle.”

Marshall walked forward, wrapping an arm around Gumball’s waist. “It’s all thanks to Gummy here, he’s the one who figured it all out.” Gumball blushed, flattered, as Lee peered down at them, his eyes sparkling. 

“Marshy, are you two…?” Marshall nodded, half hiding behind Gumball’s shoulder. “Well, as the Hebrews of old would say, mazel-tov!” He smiled widely. “And a prince no less! I suppose I should give the ‘boyfriend’s father’ speech, but it seems I have very little leverage in my current physical state. Nonetheless, please take care of my son, he needs looking after.”

“Pops, I can take care of my self!” Marshall blushed, not used to being fathered.

“I know, I know, but please indulge me this one paternal privilege?”

“Ugh, fine.”

“Great!” He turned to Gumball. “Make sure he eats well, don’t let him stay up too late, have him do his laundry once a week, practice guitar every day, don’t go swimming after a big meal, brush his teeth…”

Marshall cut him off. “Pops, please, your embarrassing me!”

“Good!” Lee smiled. “That’s my job.”

“Uh, Doct- sorry, Lee? Really quickly… how long-“

“Will I survive in this form? A few hundred years, I should think. The torch will only last about fifty years, but I can instruct you on how to make another one. It’s not a great state of being, I’m technically only a luminous projection, but it’s better than being… Say, what became of my body?”

“We cremated it.”

“Beautiful. I wish I could have been there.” He chuckled again. “But I shan't keep you much longer, I have a feeling…” Marshall’s stomach gurgled loudly. “Yes, it’s time for you two to have some nice food together… alone.” He winked at them. 

Gumball scrunched his nose in thought. “How do you-“

“He’s my son, I know him very well. I may have been gone for a long time, but I’m as sharp as ever.” He clapped his hands together, stretching his back. “You said you were the prince of the Candy Kingdom… I assume that’s located near the Dulcedendron? Is the rainbow cavern still beneath it?” Gumball nodded, pulling Marshall’s arms tighter around his waist.

“Yes, we were just about to go there for dinner.”

“Then sally forth! I’ve got some work to do, now that my being is secured.” He produced a pad of paper and a pencil, seemingly from nowhere, and began writing, muttering to himself. 

* * *

Entering the palace basement, Marshall looked around, confused. It looked like any ordinary dungeon, with dull stone walls, a couple of small rooms off of the main hallway stocked with barrels and crates, and a musty dampness that hung in the air.

“Uh, Gummy? I don’t want to say that your basement is lame, but… this is totally lame.” Gumball laughed, taking Marshall’s hand in his.

“Close your eyes.”

“What?”

“Close your eyes, it’s a surprise where we’re going.” Pouting, Marshall closed his eyes and allowed Gumball to lead him through the dungeon, through a couple of doors, and down a small flight of stairs.

“Is this that rainbow thing pops mentioned?” Gumball remained silent, sitting Marshall down on a wooden chair.

“OK, you can open your eyes now.” Marshall opened his eyes, but couldn’t see much. They were seated at a small wooden table, a single lit candle set in the middle, and plates set out for both of them. A picnic basket sat on the smooth ground near Gumball’s chair, but all else was shrouded in darkness.

“I’m confused. Is this not just a dark room?” Gumball smiled, and pulled a small round ball from his pocket.

“Check this out.” He held the ball over the candle, and suddenly it began to glow, almost blindingly bright. Gumball let go of the sphere, and it floated up from the table, higher and higher. Marshall realized that they must be in a massive cavern, since he still couldn’t see the ceiling or walls. Suddenly, the glowing orb hit the ceiling, and, with a flash of light, illuminated the entire cave. Marshall gasped, bombarded with colors. The walls and ceiling, and even the floor, were made of a beautiful crystal, filled with silky patterns, and the light from the orb, reflecting and refracting, filled the cavern with rainbows. They danced and twinkled as Marshall craned his neck to take it all in.

“Gummy, this is beautiful!” He leapt from his chair into Gumball’s arms, hugging him tightly. “I had no idea this was down here!”

Gumball kissed the top of Marshall’s head. “No one does, just myself and Peppermint Maid. And apparently your father, I guess he’s been here before as well. We’re directly under the sugar tree in the middle of the kingdom. This cave is made from sugar crystals.” Marshall nuzzled Gumball’s neck, grinning wildly. They were interrupted, however, as Marshall’s stomach growled, echoing in the large cave. Marshall looked at Gumball sheepishly.

“Sorry, I’m super crazy hungry.” He begrudgingly pulled himself from Gumball’s arms, and returned to his chair. “So what’s for food?”

“You mean dinner?”

“Yes, please!” Gumball smiled, remembering Marshall making the same joke the last time they dined together on the balcony. He pulled a platter of sandwiches and a large thermos from the picnic basket, as well as some bottles of soda, setting them on the table.

He pointed out the items to Marshall, speaking in a mock-french accent. “We’ve got garlic grilled cheese sandwiches, made with cheddar and swiss from Banana Gal’s dairy farm in the grasslands, on sourdough imported from the Breakfast Kingdom, and an accoutrement of roasted pepper and tomato soup, made from ingredients grown in the palace garden. Pour boire, an artisan grape soda made from Chardonnay grapes, as well as the Candy Kingdom’s finest and most luxurious… tap water,” he finished, switching to his normal voice. Marshall laughed, grabbing a sandwich and placing it on his plate, then pouring himself a small bowl of soup.

“Aren’t you going to have some?” he said, noticing that Gumball seemed to be waiting for something.

“I want to see you have your first bite of ‘real’ food first.” Gumball smiled, watching closely as Marshall took his first bite.

It was as if… Marshall couldn’t even think of a comparison. It was simply the most amazing sensation he could remember experiencing, apart from kissing Gumball perhaps. The sandwich was incredible, smooth and warm, the bread just a little crispy along the crust. The garlic tingled on his tongue, a flavor he hadn’t been able to taste in hundreds of years. Eating color wasn’t bad, but it didn’t come with any texture, temperature, or smell, and there weren’t as many shades of red as one would expect. But this… this was almost religious.

“Dip the sandwich in the soup,” Gumball suggested, giddily watching Marshall’s face as he tried the combination. The candy prince had always enjoyed feeding people his food, or any food for that matter. He was saddened by seeing poverty and illness, but watching someone go hungry was almost physically painful to him, and he had long ago vowed to never let his subjects not have enough food.

“Mith ig fe mog agaming fing eber,” Marshall mumbled, his mouth full of food.

“What?” Gumball laughed, grabbing a sandwich for himself. Marshall swallowed, then took another massive bite.

“Fifth nig ge fost amagine gine ender,” he said teasingly. Gumball sighed dramatically.

“Chew, then swallow, then speak, silly.”

“But I’m thirsty!” said Marshall, somehow suddenly intelligible despite his mouth full of food.

“Fine. Chew, then swallow, then take a drink, then speak,” Gumball huffed as he poured Marshall a glass of water. Marshall did as he was told, swallowing his mouth of food, then taking a drink. His mouth full of water, he then spoke, soaking Gumball.

“I said, this is the most amazing thing ever!”

“Marshall!”

“What? You didn’t tell me to swallow after I took a drink!” Gumball pouted as he dabbed at his shirt with a napkin.

“Honestly, I can’t take you anywhere… Mr. Literal.” Marshall tilted back in his chair, cackling with laughter.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” he gasped.

“You better not do that on our date on Friday.” Marshall grabbed Gumball’s hand as he stopped laughing, his eyes big and round.

“Of course I won’t. Our date is going to be… perfect,” he promised, anticipation gleaming in his eyes.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Marshall lay on the floor in Gumball’s room, face down. “Why did I eat that fourth sandwich?” he moaned into the carpeting. Gumball emerged from the bathroom, having insisted on brushing his teeth to remove the garlic smell as soon as they finished dessert (bananas foster with dulce de leche ice cream).

“Dude, are you alright?” Gumball laid on the ground next to Marshall, rubbing his fingers up and down his back.

“Yeah, I’m just…” He burped. “Really full. But that was quite possibly the most amazing dinner in the history of everything. I… uph!” He grunted as his stomach gurgled. “I can’t be hungry again, can I? Wait, no… hold on.” He stood and dashed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

“Snowflake? Are you sure you’re alright?” Gumball stood nervously, worried about Marshall. Schwabelle meowed as she jumped from Gumball’s bed, where she had been napping, and brushed up against Gumball’s leg.

Through the bathroom door, Gumball hear Marshall groan. “Is it supposed to feel like I ate cement?”

“Uh, no. Wait… Marshall, you’re not allergic to garlic, are you?”

“No, I used to love garlic. Hold on… milk. I remember something about milk. And lace… lack… lacky…”

Gumball stifled back a laugh. “Snowflake, are you lactose intolerant?”

Marshall groaned again. “That’s it. Oh, glob, my stomach!”

“No more grilled cheese for you, mister!”

“But it’s sooooo good!” he moaned.

Gumball lifted Schwabelle into his arms, avoiding her hypnotic gaze. “Well, maybe I can come up with something in my lab to help.” He began laughing. “I guess that means you can’t kiss me any more!”

“WHAT!?!” Marshall sounded genuinely alarmed.

“Y’know, because I’m a cheese brain?”

“Oh, that. Some things are worth it, and you definitely are. My silly cheese brain.”

They both laughed. “Well, when you’re done in there, I’ll walk you and Schwabelle to your temporary house.”

“Umm… and spend the night?”

Gumball scratched Schwabelle behind the ears, imagining Marshall’s expression. “Only if you’re really good. And if you brush your teeth.” 


	16. A Gooey Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexual content ahead! You have been warned!

“Feeling better?” Gumball asked. He and Marshall walked slowly toward the half-demon’s temporary house. Marshall nodded, patting his stomach.

“All better, thanks. My stummy thanks you, too.”

“Stummy?”

“Y’know, above your stomach but below your tummy? Just below your belly button? Right… Here! Boop!” He poked Gumball playfully, his finger lingering on the prince’s abs. “Hey, how long is Root Beer Gal planning on staying away? There’s, like, no furniture in his house.”

Gumball scrunched his nose in thought. “A few months, I think, but… Hmm, that’s interesting. Maybe longer? I thought they had a vacation home near Lake Butterscotch, but maybe they’re actually moving out there.”

Marshall yawned, stretching his arms theatrically, letting one fall over Gumball’s shoulders. Gumball smiled, wrapping his arm around Marshall’s skinny waist, hooking a finger into one of his belt loops. They walked for a while in a peaceful silence before it began to rain lightly. Marshall dashed under a nearby awning, scooping up Schwabelle in one arm and pulling Gumball with the other. “Aren’t you afraid of getting wet?” he asked, shaking some water from his mop of dark hair.

“No, why?”

“Doesn’t sugar, like, melt in water or something?” Gumball laughed, letting go of Marshall and stepping out into the rain.

“Nope! Well, yes, water will dissolve sugar, but I’m made from bubble gum!” He spun in a circle, arms up in the air. “Naturally water proof.” He walked back to where Marshall was standing, wiping some of the water from his clothes. “I heard somewhere that, long ago, rain jackets used to be made from rubber, which comes from the same source as chicle.” Marshall blinked slowly in confusion. “It’s what makes gum chewy and squishy.”

“Oh, I see. Kinda.”

“If I get too cold, my limbs get stiff, but I have to be really really…” Marshall quickly wrapped his arms around Gumball to keep him warm. “… Really cold for that to happen.” Schwabelle jumped from her place on Marshall’s shoulder onto Gumball’s head, happily pawing at his hair. “Uh… why’s she doing that?”

“She likes soft things.” Marshall gave him a squeeze. “So do I.” Gumball laughed as they arrived at the house. 4147 N. Guar Street. Marshall unlocked the door, and they stepped inside.

“This is cute,” said Gumball, taking his jacket off and hanging it on a peg by the door. “Very… minimalist.” The house was on the large size, more than big enough for its two previous occupants. Root Beer Gal had bought it after her second detective novel was published, taking a break from being head of the royal banana guard. However, despite its size, it was quite barren. The walls were blank, although dusty rectangles showed where picture frames had hung previously, and flattened patches of carpet indicated where a couch and a couple of chairs had sat. But now the only furniture in the room was a couple of cushions along one wall and a small side table with a telephone near the front door. Gumball peeked into the kitchen, noticing that all of the small appliances were gone as well, although a large refrigerator still sat in the corner, humming quietly. The breakfast nook was just as barren as the living room, with a large wooden spool marked “Licorice Rope” standing in for a table.

“You weren’t kidding, they totally cleaned out this place!” Gumball exclaimed as Marshall joined him in the dining room.

“Yeah, looks like I’m gonna need to get some furniture. Luckily I know the richest man in the kingdom, maybe he’ll lend me some money…?” He gave Gumball his biggest puppy dog eyes. Gumball smiled, rubbing Marshall’s shoulder.

“I’ll make sure you get some proper furniture. Uh… you do have a bed, right?” Marshall nodded, grabbing Gumball’s arm and leading him further into the house, to what appeared to be the master bedroom. A massive mattress covered in an eclectic patchwork of sheets sat on the floor, the wall nearest the bathroom acting as a headboard.

“I borrowed it from Raggedy Prince, I have to give it back next week.”

“Well, I’ll make sure you have a proper bed by then, frame and all. Now… how’s your chest feeling?”

Marshall looked up from digging through his suitcase. “Fine, why?”

“And your stomach?”

“Uh… it’s fine, too.”

“Good!” Gumball grabbed Marshall’s shoulder, pushing him down onto the mattress. “You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do this…” he moaned, kicking his shoes off before joining Marshall, straddling him.

“Do wha-“ Marshall gasped as Gumball kissed him hard, fierce and passionate. Wrapping his arms around the prince’s neck, Marshall kissed back, savoring the sugary taste of his mouth. Suddenly, Gumball pulled back. “What? You OK?”

“Dude, your breath smells like garlic. Go brush your teeth. Now.” Marshall looked at him with pleading eyes, desperately wanting to resume kissing.

“But…”

“Nope. Up.” Gumball rolled off, allowing Marshall to get up. “Come on, go!” Groaning in protest, Marshall stood and walked to the bathroom. Gumball’s heart pounded as he propped himself up on his elbow, listening to the demon boy brushing his teeth. He had dreamed about having Marshall like this, but fate always seemed to pit the two of them against each other. But now, here he was, alone for the night with the boy of his dreams.

“OK, I’m all minty fresh now!” Marshall returned to the mattress, curling up alongside Gumball.

“Right. Now… where were we?” Gumball smiled, brushing Marshall’s dark locks from his face.

“You were, uh… ‘pouncing’ me.”

“Oh, right… POUNCE!” Gumball exclaimed as he rolled on to Marshall, pinning his arms to the side. “My snowflake…” he sighed, then kissed his minty fresh partner. Their teeth clacked together as their kisses became rougher, Marshall moaning at every touch. Gumball bit Marshall’s lower lip, tugging gently as he growled.

“You beast!” Marshall moaned, his eyes alight with passion. He felt a tightness near his groin, an euphoric sensation he hadn’t experienced since before his heart stopped beating. Gumball slid lower on his body, laying sloppy kisses along Marshall’s jaw and neck. He rubbed his hips against Marshall’s, smiling at the ex-vampire’s growing bulge. Marshall tugged at Gumball’s shirt, and the pink prince grinned, breathing heavily, as he removed it, then removed Marshall’s shirt. Hands rubbed up and down torsos, lips laying passionate kisses on shoulders and collarbones, then further down.

Marshall pressed his nose hard against Gumball’s pectorals as he nibbled on the prince’s nipple. _Tastes like cherry_ , he thought as Gumball gasped into the pillow, his toes wiggling in delight. Gumball pushed Marshall back, then dragged his tongue down from the boy’s neck, trailing along his sternum, down to the bottom of his rib cage. After nuzzling at his belly button for a moment, Gumball began to fiddle with the clasp on Marshall’s tight jeans.

“Gummy…” gasped Marshall, arching his back. He felt like exploding from pleasure, his groin throbbing.

“Take off your pants,” Gumball instructed, giving up on the tiny clasp.

“Wha…?”

“Take off your pants.” His voice sounded lower than normal, passionate and pleading. Marshall leaned back as he unbuttoned his pants, sliding the jeans off of his legs as Gumball did the same with his own pants, struggling a little with the cast on his broken leg. Now just two thin pairs of underwear separated the two from each other. Marshall leaned forward, pulling Gumball down onto him. They both shivered as their two growing erections pressed against each other, feeling each other’s pulse through their underwear.

“Hold on…” Marshall moaned as he grabbed Gumball and rolled over, now on top of him. He sat, legs straddling the pink prince, and began kissing his way up and down Gumball’s torso. Instinctively, he began grinding his hips back and forth along Gumball, his underwear riding low along his hips. 

“Sno… oh… flake!” Gumball wrapped his arms around Marshall’s shoulders, pulling him close. He bucked his hips, rubbing himself against Marshall’s bulge. Marshall gasped, his eyes closed and fingers digging into Gumball’s sides. Seeing his enjoyment, Gumball bucked his hips some more, this time harder and faster. Marshall’s fingers trailed down Gumball’s chest, across his belly, and down to the elastic on his underwear. Looking at Gumball as if seeking permission, Marshall tugged on his underwear gently. Gumball grinned and nodded, helping with the removal of his last article of clothing.

“Oh, wow. Uh… You’re really, uh… big.” Marshall wrapped his fingers around Gumball, squeezing and tugging.

“I’m just, y’know, naturally stretchy.” Gumball grinned deviously.

“I’m, uh, not so big.” Marshall let go of Gumball, suddenly very self-conscious.

“So? It hasn’t had blood flow in over eight hundred years! Besides… I can see that you’re actually quite big.” Gumball dragged his hand over Marshall’s bulge, then tugged at his underwear. “Come on, we have to be equal.”

Marshall nervously took his underwear off, struggling a little as he was still straddling Gumball. After flinging them carelessly to the side, he resumed grinding his hips against Gumball, squeezing and pulling on his partner’s length.

“S-Snowflake?”

“Hmm?”

“I- ah! I love you.” Gumball suddenly wrapped an arm around Marshall’s neck, pulling him closer for a kiss.

“Mmf, I love you too,” mumbled Marshall into Gumball’s lips. He then wiggled his way down Gumball’s torso, dragging his forked tongue down his body to his hips. For a moment he played with Gumball’s pink appendage, pulling it to the side and watching it spring back up. “Boing!” he laughed, then wrapped his long tongue around it, his lips trailing up and down Gumball’s length. The taste of sweaty bubblegum filled his mouth as he began sliding up and down, sucking slightly as his tongue explored every inch, sliding over the throbbing red tip and down the thick warm shaft.

“Oh! Don’t stop!” Gumball moaned, arching his back to thrust himself further into Marshall’s mouth. He could feel his climax approaching fast, and Marshall’s mouth was so soft and warm that it was almost paralyzing. He buried a hand in Marshall’s hair, rubbing his scalp and guiding his head to move faster. “Ah… ah… I’m… going to… AH!”

He came hard, covering Marshall’s mouth and face in a hot sticky substance, and relaxed his back, breathing heavily.

“Gummy… this is icing,” whispered Marshall, licking his lips. Gumball blushed, still panting hard.

“Well, yeah… I’m a candy person, remember?” Marshall leaned forward, kissing Gumball all over his face and smearing him with his own sweet icing.

“You’re sweet,” he said, grinning. “Have you ever… uh… _encountered_ … um… y’know, regular-person…”

“No, not yet,” Gumball said, realizing what Marshall was trying to ask. “But I would very much like to ‘encounter’ yours, in a few minutes once I catch my breath and clean my face.” Marshall smiled, grabbing a nearby box of tissues and gently wiping Gumball’s face. “Thank you.”

“If I weren’t so full from dinner, I’d clean it up myself,” said Marshall, licking his lips. Gumball playfully smacked his shoulder.

“Eww, you’re kinky.” Marshall shrugged as he finished wiping the last of the icing from the prince’s face.

“Let me know when you’re all caught up and ready for more,” whispered Marshall, curling up on Gumball’s chest. As much as he was looking forward to more sexy fun time with Gumball, he felt spent, and found himself drifting in and out of sleep, strong pink arms wrapped around his back.

“Sure thing, my snowflake. Maybe…” Gumball yawned. “Maybe after a quick nap.” Marshall nodded, and drifted off to sleep, purring softly on Gumball’s chest.

_So the purring is a demon thing_ , thought Gumball as he smiled and fell asleep moments later.

* * *

Marshall awoke to the feeling of something warm and wet moving up and down his back. At first he thought it was Schwabelle, who sometimes would wake him when she was hungry, but he quickly realized that it was Gumball, kissing his back.

“Mmm, I like that…” he moaned into his pillow. Gumball was straddling him, quite aroused, pressing himself into Marshall’s butt and back. 

“Ah… I’m ready for some more, if you are.” Marshall nodded, reaching back to stroke Gumball’s thighs, feeling himself becoming aroused. He suddenly felt much more aggressive, rolling over and pinning Gumball down against the mattress beneath him.

“If you don’t want something, let me know and I’ll stop,” he whispered, pushing Gumball’s legs apart slightly, his fingers exploring Gumball’s smooth rear.

“Don’t worry, I’ll let you kno-oh!” He gasped as Marshall slid a finger into him, wiggling his hips a little to accommodate.

“Sorry, does that hurt?” Marshall paused, seeing the discomfort on his partner’s face.

“No… well, not much, you just need to stretch me out a little-ah!” Marshall slid a second finger in, thankful that Gumball’s physiology didn’t require lubrication. Leaning forward, he grabbed Gumball’s length, squeezing it together with his own and tugging gently. In the moonlight filtering in through the curtains, he could see the longing in Gumball’s eyes. 

After kissing him on the lips and chin, he asked, “Are you ready?” Gumball nodded quickly, biting his lower lip. “Are you sure? You still seem pretty tight.” Gumball nodded again, silently pleading for Marshall to enter him. “OK, hold on…” Marshall groped around in the dim light for a condom, having purchased some earlier from the Squeeze-E-Mart.

“Marshall… are you sure we need that?” Gumball moaned, eyeing his partner.

“Yes, mister. Mine isn’t just sugar. Besides,” he winked at Gumball, their faces flushed and sweaty. “Wouldn’t want to get you pregnant by accident.” Gumball laughed softly, squeezing Marshall’s arm to hurry him up. “OK. Again, let me know if you want me to stop.” He slowly pressed himself into Gumball’s rear end, rubbing his free hand over Gumball’s belly. 

“Ah-ow!” Gumball shouted as Marshall wiggled his way inside. “No, don’t stop, it feels… Ah-amazing.” Gumball closed his eyes, trying to get used to this new sensation. It was both painful and incredibly pleasurable, sending pulses of joy through his core. He grabbed Marshall’s hips, encouraging him to slide in and out. Smiling, the pale boy obliged, starting slow then speeding up. “Ah! Ah! Ah! Oh, Snowflake!” he gasped, Marshall now pounding into his core.

“Gummy! Oh, glob, you’re so tight and warm!” Marshall panted, feeling himself near his climax. Bending forward and pushing Gumball’s legs to the side, he pressed their lips together, not so much kissing as just touching, their breath hot on each other’s skin.

“Snow… Ah! My Snowflake! Mar-Mmm-Marshall…” he whispered, his voice sending Marshall over the edge. He came hard, wrapping his arms around Gumball’s neck, burying his face in his partner’s neck.

“Mmm… I love you, Gummy.”

“I love you too.” They laid still for a moment, catching their breaths as Marshall finished, his whole body shivering and pulsing from his climax. He felt Gumball nibble on his earlobe as he pulled himself out of his partner, removing his used condom and flinging it in the Squeeze-E-Mart plastic bag.

Yawning, Marshall mumbled, “I’m sleepy. You wore me out, sir.” Gumball nodded, completely spent.

“Come here, closer.” Gumball pulled Marshall nearer to him, curling up into the demon boy’s chest, laying his ear against one of Marshall’s pectorals. “If I can’t hear your heartbeat, you’re too far away.” Marshall rubbed Gumball’s pink hair, smiling to himself.

“I promise I’ll always be close enough, for as long as you want me.”

“I’ll always want you.”

After a few minutes, they both dropped into a content sleep, peacefully resting in each other’s arms. 


	17. Chapter 17 - The Date

The days before Marshall and Gumball’s date seemed to pass quickly, giving the two very little chance to see each other. Gumball had catching up to do on his royal duties, having been gone for over a week. Rulers from the various kingdoms of Ooo wanted to know why they had been told to fortify their kingdoms, and a few of the smarter candy citizens, having realized that there was no ‘Sand Kingdom’ as mentioned in Prince Gumball’s announcement before he disappeared, were getting suspicious. Marshall, on the other hand, had spent nearly every day bonding with his father, the Luce stone having been moved to his new, temporary residence.

Finally Friday came around. Gumball paced in the foyer of his palace, feeling oddly nervous. He had struggled to find time to set up a few surprises for Marshall, and worried that they wouldn’t be impressive enough. A knock at the door interrupted his thought process.

“Coming!” he called, hurrying over to the large front door. After pausing a moment to catch his breath and double check his hair, he pulled the door open.

“Hey Gummy.” Marshall smiled, leaning against the door jam with a bouquet of black roses in his hand. He was wearing black skinny jeans with a bright red belt, and a dark grey button-down shirt with red piping. Gumball smiled.

“Hello, snowflake.” They stood for a moment, awkwardly separated by the threshold of the door, before Marshall jumped into Gumball’s arms, kissing him on the lips.

“I missed you,” he whispered into Gumball’s ear, his eyes closed as he took in Gumball’s sweet smell.

“Mmm, I missed you too. Sorry I’ve been so busy, I’ve been in debriefing meetings all week.”

“Ugh, that sounds awful. Also… I thought you wore boxers.”

“What?” Gumball scrunched his nose in confusion. “I don’t…”

“Y’know, de-briefing? Briefs? Like the underwear?”

“Oh, heh. You’re weird.” Gumball placed his hand on Marshall’s nose, giggling a little. “So where are we going? I’ve got a surprise or two for you, but those will come later.”

“Aww, what? Can’t I get them now?”

“Umm… No,” Gumball stated resolutely. “Patience, mister. By the way, I have dinner reservations at eight fifteen tonight.”

“Ooh, where at?”

“No where special, just this little place called _Plat Couture_.”

Marshall gasped. “ _Plat Couture_!?! But that place is, like, crazy fancy!”

Gumball smiled. “Only the best for you.”

“Well, maybe I have something up my sleeve too,” said Marshall, grinning. “There’s a fair in town, I thought we could… I dunno, mosey around, play some midway games. Y’know, if you want.”

“That sounds lovely.” Gumball kissed Marshall on the nose, then, taking his hand, led him toward the front gates of the palace.

* * *

Arriving at the fair, Gumball paid for a large reel of tickets, despite Marshall’s protests, and they entered the colorful carnival.

“Have you ever been to a kingdom fair before?” asked Marshall, watching Gumball take in all the sights. Colorful, blinking lights assaulted them from every side, and the smell of fresh popcorn and deep-fried things covered in cinnamon wafted through the air.

“Yeah, but only as an official, for the opening ceremony and the dunking booth fundraiser. I’ve always wanted to come here just for fun.” He wrapped an arm around Marshall’s waist, looping a finger into a belt loop so he couldn’t accidentally let go.

“Ohh, Gummy! Look at that!” Marshall excitedly pulled Gumball toward a bright yellow booth covered in stuffed animals and prizes. A small stuffed bat with brown fur and pink eyes hung toward the back of the booth, a leftover from the halloween season.

Gumball puffed out his chest, living out one of his fantasies. “How do I get that bat?” he asked the booth attendant in his manliest voice possible.

“See them there bottles?” said the attendant, a short, elfish man with a wide black mustache and a heavy southern drawl. “Y’all just need t’knock four of them five over with this here ball. Two throws per ticket.”

Placing two tickets on the wooden counter, Gumball grabbed one of the grey balls. It was considerably heavier than he had expected, and the white milk bottles suddenly seemed far away.

“A kiss for good luck,” whispered Marshall, kissing him on the shoulder. Gumball reared back, and threw the ball. It thumped on the ground a little further than half-way.

“Bummer,” said the booth attendant, placing another gray ball on the counter. Gumball grabbed it, and threw hard. This time it sailed over the milk bottles, bouncing off of the back of the booth.

“Here, let me help.” Marshall stood directly behind Gumball, as close as he could get, and guided the prince’s pink arm as they threw another ball together. This time, it hit the stack, toppling three bottles with a satisfying clatter. Gumball smiled, wiggling his body against Marshall’s chest. “One more,” whispered Marshall into his ear as together they grabbed and threw the last ball. It hit the stack of bottles, but none fell.

“Sorry, boys. Another ticket, another two tries?” The booth operator smiled at them, his mustache twitching slightly. But seven tickets later, there were still only three bottles knocked over. “Looks like y’all’r out of luck.”

“It’s OK, Gummy, I don’t need…” Marshall said soothingly. But Gumball frowned, determined. He hopped up onto the counter, and leaned over to whisper in the booth operator’s ear.

“Well, of course!” said the man, looking confused. Gumball whispered some more in his ear, and he frowned. “You would?” Gumball nodded. The booth operator cleared his throat loudly, then sneezed theatrically, ‘accidentally’ knocking down the last two bottles. “Oh, looky there, boys. Seems you indeed got them all! Here y’go.” He handed Gumball the stuffed bat, who gave it to a stunned and confused Marshall Lee.

“What was that all about?” asked Marshall, as he and Gumball walked away from the booth arm-in-arm.

“Oh, I just reminded that guy who I was, and that the carnival’s business license is due for renewal soon.”

“Gummy!” Marshall exclaimed, a sheepish grin on his face. “You didn’t have to do that for me.”

Gumball smiled, pulling Marshall closer. “I’d do anything for you.”

* * *

“Remember when I said I’d do anything for you? I think you may have taken that a little more literally than I intended.” Gumball frowned as he looked up at the ferris wheel. “I’ve not been so keen on heights since I fell off Lord Mono.”

“Come on, please, Gummy?” Marshall looked at him with his biggest puppy dog eyes.

Gumball smiled, although he still seemed a little nervous. “OK, but just for you, snowflake.” He covered Marshall’s eyes with his hand. “Just stop making that face!” 

After a short wait, Gumball handed the attendant two tickets, and the two boys climbed into their swinging bench. Gumball grabbed Marshall’s hand and squeezed tightly as the massive metal structure began to rotate.

“It’s OK, Gummy. I’ve got you.” Marshall snaked his free hand around Gumball’s waist, holding him tight. “But you’ve got to open your eyes. I’ve got a surprise.” Gumball cracked one of his eyes open, then the other. The ferris wheel slowed to a stop to allow more guests to board, and Marshall pulled his hand from Gumball’s grasp.

“What are you doing?” 

“Just watch.” Marshall placed two fingers in his mouth, as if whistling, but no sound came out.

“What was that?”

“I may not be a vampire any more, but I’ve still got some winged friends.” As he spoke, a massive black cloud began to rise from the trees all around them. Gasps came from the guests below as the cloud coalesced into a giant black shimmering ball.

“They’re bats!” said Gumball, breathless. Marshall nodded, then snapped his fingers twice. The mass of bats shifted, twisting and separating, until three distinct shapes appeared, floating in the sky. “L… that’s a heart… U. L heart you?” Marshall groaned, displeased.

He placed his hand to his mouth again, as if whistling, then made a series of three clicking noises with his tongue.

“Oh, I get it. Ultrasonic.”

“Gezundheit. There we go!” A few bats had shifted around, so the ‘L’ became an ‘I’.

“Oh, I heart you! Heh, I heart you too.” Gumball smiled, resting his head on Marshall’s shoulder. The lap bar made it impossible for them to properly hug, so the two boys just smiled and held hands. A few of the visitors below seemed to be taking advantage of the message floating in the sky, as the sounds of other couples’ ‘ _aww’s_ and ‘ _I love you too’s_ filled the fair.

* * *

After playing a few more midway games and watching a juggler on stilts for a few minutes, Marshall Lee grabbed Gumball’s hand and led him from the fair.

“Where are we going?” asked Gumball, squinting into the setting sun.

“The Marshmallowy Mweadows, to watch the sun set. And I’ve got a surprise.” Gumball grinned as he followed Marshall out of the kingdom, into the wide fields that served as the border between the Candy Kingdom and the Grass Lands. The sun was low, gleaming off of a nearby lake and turning the sky a brilliant orange. “Here looks good!” Marshall exclaimed as he led Gumball to a small, fluff-covered hill. A quilted blanket lay on the mallow ground, facing the setting sun.

“You planned this all out, didn’t you?” Gumball asked, crawling onto the blanket next to Marshall. The pale demon boy nodded, and suddenly blushed deep red.

“Gummy, have you… never mind.”

“No, what?”

“No, it’s silly.” Marshall turned away from Gumball, embarrassed.

“Come on, please?” Gumball placed a hand on Marshall’s shoulder.

“Have you… have you ever heard of hand-fasting?” Gumball scrunched his nose, thinking.

“Yeah… hold on. I think I remember reading about it in that book, the one with the poem about Beltane.”

Marshall nodded. “Pops told me about it. It’s an old pagan thing, like… uh, a pre-marriage.”

“Like engagement?” Gumball brushed his thumb against Marshall’s still-blushing cheek.

“Erm… sort of. It’s like a trial marriage. Like, you’re pretty sure you want to marry someone one day, but that day is still really far away, and you want something more than just ‘dating’, but not as permanent or structured as marriage.” Gumball nodded, the passage from the book coming back to him. “It’s kind of like a ‘you shall be together for as long as the love lasts’ kind of thing. I’m not explaining this well, am I?” Marshall frowned.

“No, I get it. Like a ‘someday’ promise.”

“Exactly!” Marshall twiddled his fingers for a moment, then reached into his pocket and cleared his throat. “Prince Bubba Gumball, would you…” He pulled two beaded bracelets from his pocket. “Would you be my partner, in the ancient and rather irrelevant…” Gumball giggled, his eyes filling with tears. “… rite of hand-fasting, so that our love may grow?”

Gumball gasped, tears now dripping down his face. Marshall frowned, nervously holding the two bracelets out for Gumball to take. Clearing his throat, he said, “Uh… Now’s the part where you say either yes or no.”

“Absolutely,” Gumball sobbed, grinning ear to ear. “I love you, Marshall Lee Abadeer.”

“Then here, take this and put it on me, and I’ll put this on you.” Marshall slid one of the beaded bracelets onto Gumball’s wrist. It was made of soft brown twine, and had an alternating pattern of red and black beads. Gumball paused to admire it before sliding the other bracelet, this one with pink and blue beads, onto Marshall’s pale wrist. “Please don’t cry,” he said softly.

“But I’m so happy!” Gumball replied, wiping the tears from his eyes. “This is absolutely perfect. Oh, snowflake, I love you!” He leaned over and kissed Marshall, pulling him close as they lay on the fluffy ground beneath the setting sun.

* * *

“Hey, Mar Mar!” A white and blue blur flew down the street, smashing into Marshall as Gumball led him to the restaurant.

“Oof! Hey Fionna. Hey Cake.”

“Hey paste-face,” Cake said, smirking at Marshall. “Where’re you boys off to?”

Gumball blushed, fiddling with his new bracelet. “Oh, uh…”

“We’re on our way to our date tonight at _Plat Couture_ ,” stated Marshall resolutely, seeing Gumball’s discomfort. He grabbed his partner’s hand, just to make sure the message got through.

“Date…? Are you two…?” Fionna squinted at them, flipping her blonde hair from her face.

“Yes, Gummy’s my boyfriend.” Gumball rubbed his arm nervously, waiting for Fionna’s reaction.

“Ha! Cake, you owe me nachos!” Gumball and Marshall both blinked slowly, confused. “Cake bet me you two wouldn’t hook up until next year, but I totally knew you would.”

“Wait, what? You… what!?!” Gumball looked back and forth between Fionna and Cake, his eyes wide in surprise.

“Dude, you two have been after each other for the past… I dunno, forever! Cake thought you guys wouldn’t figure it out, though. And now I get nachos! I love nachos!”

Cake groaned. “Man, you’re never gonna let me forget this, are you?”

“Nope! Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re trying to set up a playdate with Ice Queen and Abra-ca-Daniella. Nachos!” Fionna whooped as she hopped on Cake’s back, and the two of them ran off toward the Ice Kingdom.

“That was weird,” muttered Marshall. 

Gumball smiled, pulling him down the street. “Come on, I’m hungry!”

* * *

“Hello, we have reservations under ‘Gumball’.” The tall eclair girl behind the desk flipped through the reservation book as Marshall looked around the foyer of the restaurant, his eyes wide as he took in all the details.  _Plat Couture_ was one of the fanciest restaurants in the Candy Kingdom, and celebrities from all over Ooo were known to dine here.

“For two? Right this way please.” The eclair girl led the two boys into the dining room, a large timbered room glowing with ornate chandeliers and small table candles. “Have you two dined with us before?” Marshall shook his head. “Well then, welcome! _Plat Couture_ is built in an old wheat mill, and we’ve tried to honor that legacy in our menu, using traditional ingredients and authentic old-world recipes. Chef Pierre has crafted a special menu for the two of you tonight, at the request of Sir Gumball. We hope you enjoy your evening.” She gestured to a small side room with stucco walls covered in framed maps of the different kingdoms of Ooo. “As requested, a four-top.”

Marshall looked at the table in the center of the room, raising his eyebrows at the four chairs.

“It’s so we can sit side-by-side. I thought you might like that better than being across the table from me,” said Gumball, rubbing Marshall’s back. 

Marshall smiled, and gave Gumball a quick peck on the cheek. The pink prince blushed as the hostess winked and left the room, leaving the two boys alone. “Holy cow, this place is shmancy!” whispered Marshall as he took a seat next to Gumball. “Look, the napkins even have their logo on them!”

Gumball nodded. “Only the best for you, my love.”

“So, that donut girl said you asked for a special menu?”

Gumball nodded. “This place has the best chef, but sometimes their menu is a little out of season, so I thought I’d make sure we get the best possible meal.”

As Gumball spoke, a short gumdrop man walked in holding a tray of food. He spoke with a slight french accent, and kept fiddling with his bow tie. “Monsieurs, your first course. Maitake mushroom soup finished with black truffle oil and served with brown bread.” He placed the two bowls of soup in front of the boys and left the room with a flourish.

“Wow, this smells incredible!” said Marshall, his eyes closed as he took in the smell of the soup. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.” He grabbed a spoon, then paused, noticing Gumball watching him with a slight smile. “What?”

“Nothing, you’re just cute when you get excited about food.” Gumball smiled and gently rubbed Marshall’s leg before grabbing his own spoon and tasting the soup. “Mmm. This is great. Try it!”

Marshall took a sip, then leaned back in his chair as he savored the flavor. “It’s a little nutty. Oh, and a little peppery. I love it!”

“I’m glad you like it, snowflake.”

“You know what else I like?”

“Hmm?”

“I like it when you call me ‘snowflake’. It makes me feel special.”

Gumball leaned over and nuzzled Marshall’s neck, whispering “My snowflake.” Marshall shivered involuntarily. “What else do you like?”

“Huh?”

Gumball sat up, eating some more of his soup. “If you had any fantasy, what would it be? What would you like to do?”

“Like a fetish?” Gumball blushed, but nodded. “Hmm… You promise not to tell anyone?” Gumball nodded again. “Umm… I really like it when we’re only wearing underwear, really tight underwear, and you rub up against me.” He shivered again from thinking about it. “It makes me feel all warm and happy.”

Gumball interlaced his fingers with Marshall’s under the table, and whispered quietly, “Well, maybe we can do that tonight, after dinner.”

Marshall grinned, eating some more of his soup. “Hey, Gummy? What’s yours?”

“Mine?” Marshall nodded, squeezing Gumball’s hand. “Uh, it’s kind of silly.”

“So?”

Gumball sighed, then smiled. “Remember when I gave you those all-over-body kisses?”

“Yeah.”

“I would really like it if you would do that to me, but instead of kisses…”

“Yes…?”

“You, uh, lick me.”

“Lick you?”

Gumball nodded again, his face turning deep red. “Yeah. All over. It’s silly, I know.”

Marshall shook his head. “No it’s not, no more than mine. It sounds like fun. Tasty fun!”

The gumdrop man reappeared, and cleared their empty soup bowls. “For the next course, chef has prepared maratelli risotto with shaved truffles.” He placed the bowls of risotto down, then left and returned with a small wooden box. He set the box on the table, opened it, and pulled out two truffle mushrooms and what looked like a long metal cheese grater. Holding the grater over Marshall’s bowl, he shaved off thin pieces of the mushroom, until there was a fine layer over Marshall’s plate. He then repeated the process for Gumball’s bowl, then bowed and left.

“That was fancy,” said Marshall, already digging in to his next course with excitement. “This is soooo good!”

Gumball laughed. “That’s what you said about the soup.”

“Because it was! Gummy, you’re going to make me fat if you keep giving me this amazing food.”

“But I’m not even the chef tonight!”

“Yeah, but you did pick out the menu.”

“Well, yeah, I suppose so. But you’re so skinny, you could stand to put on a few pounds. Just more of you to love.”

Marshall giggled. “Gummy, you, sir, are a cheese brain. And you’re mine.” He kissed Gumball gently on the mouth. “And you’re the one I want to spend the rest of your life with.”

Gumball frowned. “What do you mean, the rest of my life? It’s your life, too.”

“Yeah, but I’ll still probably outlive you.” Marshall’s face fell a little. “You’re not part demon.”

Gumball took a deep breath, steeling himself. “Marshall, there’s something about me you should know. Do you remember how old I am?”

Marshall set down his fork, thinking. “Didn’t the invitation to your birthday say nineteen?”

Gumball nodded. “And how long have you known me?”

“Ninetee… wait. No. I knew you before I moved out of the tree fort. But that was, like, twenty five years ago!”

“And how old did I look back then?”

Marshall frowned, thinking hard. “Uh… exactly the same! Gumball, what the beef? You’re… you… How old are you?”

Gumball took another deep breath. “Yes, I’m older than most people think. I was born three hundred and eighty years ago. But since I’m a special kind of candy person, the very first candy person in fact, I age much slower than normal.” He smiled, taking Marshall’s hand. “My body ages approximately one year for every twenty real years. The same as you.”

“You mean…!?!”

“Yes. We can grow old together… if you want.” Marshall nodded, speechless, and wrapped his arms around Gumball in a hug.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he whispered.

“I don’t want people to know that I’ve had the throne for over three hundred years. Technically, the candy kingdom should get a new ruler at least every hundred years, but since the current heir to the throne is Lady Lemongrab, I can’t leave. Not yet.”

Marshall nodded. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“I know,” said Gumball simply, hugging Marshall back.

The gumdrop man appeared again, clearing the empty plates. “And now, for the main course, we have filet mignon of steak with béarnaise sauce. Please be careful, the plates are extremely hot.” He set two plates on the table, the steaks still sizzling. “We also have creamed spinach and a yam casserole. Enjoy.”

“Oh, wow!”

“I agree!” said Gumball, grinning as he sliced in to his steak. “This is cooked perfectly! And I love béarnaise sauce. Try it with the steak!”

Marshall dipped a slice of steak in the thick yellow sauce, and tasted it. “Mmm, this is really rich. There’s no way I’ll be able to finish this.”

Gumball laughed. “The last time you said that, you finished everything on your plate. And we still have dessert coming.”

“What!?!” 

Gumball nodded. “And after dinner, I have one last surprise for you. Hey, look!” He pointed at one of the maps on the wall. It appeared much newer than the rest, its frame shinier and a little crooked. “It’s the Unknown Lands to the north! The cartographers must have finished plotting it out while we were gone.”

Marshall stood up and walked over to the map. “Did we really travel that far? Oh, look! That’s the mountain. ‘Mount Hope’? Why’d they call it that?”

Gumball motioned Marshall to rejoin him at the table. “That was my request. We went there because of hope. Because you had hope, and because I had hope. Also it seemed like a nicer title than ‘Draugur Mountain’.” Marshall nodded. “Hey, how’s your father doing?”

“Pops is doing great. He’s working on a book about the origins of the Draugur, from things he found out while stuck up there with it. Pops has also been reading a lot about what’s happened while he’s been away. He says ‘hi’, by the way.”

“Well, tell him I say ‘hi’ back. He’s awesome.”

Marshall laughed. “I think so, too.” 

* * *

After finishing their steak, the gumdrop man one again reappeared, clearing the empty plates. This time he brought two small wine glasses with the plates. “Compliments of the chef, please enjoy this port wine made with blueberry extract. For dessert, bread pudding with plums. Enjoy.”

Marshall took a sip of the wine, savoring the taste. “I’ve never had wine this sweet before.”

“It’s special wine, they add brandy to stop the fermentation before all the sugar turns to alcohol.”

“Huh. Still not as sweet as you.” His face fell a little, though, and a brief frown appeared.

“Snowflake? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just… nah, it’s nothing.”

“Please tell me?”

“It’s just, today was amazing, it’s everything I hoped for. But what next? I mean, we’ve been planning this first date for a while. I guess I just don’t want it to end.”

“Snowflake,” sighed Gumball, rubbing Marshall’s back. “I could go on a thousand dates with you, and every one of them would be as special as a first date.”

“Really?”

“Really really.”

Marshall smiled as he bit in to his dessert, moaning from the taste. “I’ve always wanted to know what plums taste like! They’re just purple enough that I couldn’t eat them when I ate red.”

“Well? Are they as good as you hoped?”

“Absolutely,” he said, staring in to Gumball’s bright blue eyes.

* * *

A warm breeze swept down the street as Gumball and Marshall left the restaurant, both waddling a little from their full stomachs.

“Best. First date. Ever.” said Marshall, resting his head against Gumball’s shoulder as they turned down the main street of the Candy Kingdom.

“Really? Well, just wait until our next first date.”

“Our next…?”

“Yeah, I was thinking we could have a first date on Tuesday, if your schedule’s free. Also, next weekend is Movie Night at Fionna’s, that could be another first date.”

Marshall smiled, rubbing his head against Gumball’s shoulder a little. “I love you, Gummy.”

“I love you too, my snowflake.”

“Uh… Gummy? Where are we going?” Marshall asked as they walked past Guar Street, where Root Beer Gal’s house was, the house that Marshall had been staying in for the past week.

“We’re going to your surprise.”

“Where’s that?”

“Marshall, what do you think about Root Beer Gal’s place?”

Marshall looked up at Gumball, a little confused. “Well, it still doesn’t have much furniture, and it’s a little big for me and my pops. I’m not crazy about the color of the walls, either. Also, the sun keeps waking me up every morning. I miss my cave,” he said, a little bitterly. “But I suppose it’s alright. It’s a roof over my head, keeps me warm at night, it has a bathroom and a kitchen, I guess that’s all I need.”

“That’s what I thought, that’s why I started looking for another house for you, a more permanent house. Something more… Marshall-y. Here we are.” They had arrived at the base of the Rock Candy Mountain, on the northern-eastern edge of the Candy Kingdom. On the other side of the mountain lay a rocky valley that bordered the Ice Kingdom.

“Here we are… where?” Gumball pointed at a small opening in the mountain side, a perfect half-circle.

“That’s the old wine cellars. The vintners used to store their wine barrels there, but now they use more modern storehouses. They’ve been abandoned for years now, but I thought you might like them.”

“That’s it? Gummy, I can’t live in just a cave, it’s not…”

“Shh, it’s what’s inside the cave that’s the surprise.”

The two boys walked into the cave. It was cool and damp, and had the unmistakable smell of an old, natural cave. Marshall smiled a little, remembering his old cave’s smell. This one was a little different, but it was remarkably similar. Rounding a bend, Marshall gasped.

“Gummy, is that…?”

“Yep, it’s your house.” Marshall ran toward the structure. It was indeed his old house, from his previous cave, with the same wooden porch, small garden in the back, and faded purple paint. “I had it moved here two days ago. It should be exactly as it was before, just in a different location.” Marshall unlocked the front door with shaking hands, and stepped inside.

“Oh, Gummy…” he said, breathless. Everything was in its exact same position, with one single exception: the ladder to the upstairs had been carefully replaced with a blue metal spiral staircase. Marshall turned and pulled Gumball in to a fierce kiss. “Gummy, this is the best. I love you,” he said, murmuring into Gumball’s lips. Pulling away suddenly, he grabbed Gumball’s hand. “And I think I know exactly how to thank you,” he said, his face flush with excitement. Leading Gumball upstairs, he pushed him into the bed, and curled in next to him. “You’re mine and I’m yours,” he whispered, fingering his bracelet. Outside, the moon cast a beautiful glow over the Candy Kingdom as Marshall and Gumball made love for the second time, with many many more times to come.

 

The End. 

**Author's Note:**

> Well, there we have it. I hope you enjoyed reading "At Long Last" as much as I did writing it. Stay tuned to my profile for another GumLee fanfic coming in May (hopefully).


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